Chicago man who beat murder case killed after leaving jail
CHICAGO -- A Chicago man who faced murder charges that were dismissed after prosecutors failed to give him a speedy trial was killed as he was driven away from Cook County Jail.
Kamari Belmont was charged in the May 2015 shooting of 40-year-old Sorrell Marshall, who died three weeks later. Belmont was initially charged with attempted murder and the charges weren’t upgraded to murder until a year later. The delay hasn’t been explained by prosecutors.
Belmont was being held on a separate robbery case after the murder charges were dropped in January. A friend posted a $100,000 bond for Belmont on Monday.
The 23-year-old Belmont was being driven away from the jail when an SUV pulled alongside and someone began shooting. Belmont was shot several times and died at the scene. Police say the SUV crashed, and those inside fled.
Michael Johnson, Belmont’s lawyer, told CBS Chicago he isn’t isn’t sure Belmont’s murder was a retaliation killing. The cases were not gang-related, he said.