Corey Cowart, who is accused of killing two women at a Summit home Nov. 12, received a $300,000 bond reduction Thursday.
Summit Municipal Court Judge José Simo granted the reduction during a probable cause hearing in a packed courtroom at town hall around 4 p.m.
Cowart, 36, of Kenner, La., allegedly shot and killed Christie L. Wells, 30, and Tomecka D. Williams, 39, around 7 p.m. Nov. 12 at the 402 Peters St. home in which he was living.
Cowart’s defense team, one of whom is prominent Louisiana defense attorney Martin Regan, began poking holes in the prosecution’s case while arguing for the bond reduction.
Summit police detective Clay Barrett, who responded to the initial 911 calls on Nov. 12, testified that three witnesses told him they were standing in Cowart’s yard when one gunshot rang out.
The witnesses said they saw Christie Wells then run out of the house, followed by Cowart who shot her once in the back with a shotgun, the detective said.
The defense, however, challenged the credibility of the witnesses and argued that they are biased since two of them are the children of one of the victims.
The defense also argued that no motive has been established in the case.
Barrett testified that Williams was reportedly living in the home with Cowart at the time and that Cowart was involved romantically with both women.
Barrett, however, could not offer an explanation as to why Wells was at Cowart’s home during the time of the shooting.
“We didn’t get into all of that,” he said when asked if any of the witnesses could explain why she was at there.
The prosecution fired back, arguing that Cowart told four different stories of the incident during police interviews.
Barrett also testified that Cowart made the statement, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Here I am,” to the Pike County sheriff’s deputy who apprehended him at a Highway 51 convenience store shortly after the shootings.
At the end of the hearing, the judge determined there was enough evidence for probable cause and bound Cowart’s case over to the grand jury for further proceedings.
Cowart did not enter a plea Thursday, and a court official said this morning that would likely be done later in circuit court.
