Amarillo Almost Had a Murderer Back on the Street
My Facebook feed was just starting to go crazy earlier. I kept seeing this mugshot being posted and shared. I was working so I didn't have a chance to really read it. Oh, but when I did I just couldn't believe what I was seeing.
What is going on in Amarillo? I saw where Erik Mitchell Rivas was about to be released on bond. Wait just a second. I had to refresh my memory. I was pretty sure I knew the story. This could not be the same man that in cold blood murdered his ex-girlfriend, Shereena Byington-Webster.
The whole "if he can't have her nobody can have her" situation. She was starting to date again and Erik couldn't handle that. So he murdered her. Oh, and her five-year-old daughter was at the house. She found her mom's body. How could this guy possibly even be considered to be let out on bond? How is this our reality?
He was first given a $500,000 bond when he was arrested but then it was doubled to a million dollars. How many times are people, and of course families, ever able to come up with that amount? Not very often. That's a lot of money. Now I know they don't have to come up with that full amount to get out on bond but even a percentage of a million dollars is a lot.
I still can't believe this guy was even offered a bond. There is no question that he murdered Shereena. Luckily according to the post, I saw the bonds company did the right thing. They pulled out of the deal. I think that was best for everyone involved.
This keeps Amarillo a lot safer than if he was let out. Plus it also keeps people who loved Shereena from taking justice into their own hands. So this actually kept Rivas a bit safer too. It also keeps him in Amarillo. I mean when they arrested him he sure wasn't here, so of course he is a flight risk.
Come on someone like this should never be allowed a bond in the first place. This is just one of those crazy things about the justice system I will never understand. I am just glad it didn't end up happening.
We can all sleep better tonight in Amarillo.