“The judge belongs in prison right next to him”: Netizens enraged as speeding driver Monte Henderson who ran over mother-daughter is freed on bail

Outrage ensued on social media when netizens found out that Monte Henderson, a man accused of killing multiple people in St. Louis on February 14, was let go after only posting 10% of his bail on Friday, February 23. Henderson was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of armed criminal action after his reckless driving led to the deaths of a mother and daughter.

Social media users were left extremely enraged after the news broke and wanted the man right back in prison. However, most of the outrage was directed at the judge who allowed it to happen. One X user remarked:

Netizens were outraged at the judge for allowing Henderson to be released after posting a percentage of the bond (Image via X/@MattWallace888)

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Netizens demand judge who allowed Monte Henderson to be released be jailed

According to NBC 5, back on February 14, a mother and daughter from Chicago, 42-year-old Laticha Bracero and 21-year-old Alyssa Cordova, had just left Drake and J. Cole's It's All a Blur - Big as The What Tour performance in St. Louis. Everything seemed to be fine as they looked to use the crosswalk near the Enterprise Center.

However, while on North 18th and Olive Streets, 22-year-old Monte Henderson, who was driving a Jeep over speeds of 70 mph, ran a red light and sideswiped another car before rotating sideways and hitting Bracero and Cordova, who were using the crosswalk. Henderson's vehicle kept on moving until it finally came to a halt after T-boning yet another car.

Both women lost their lives. NBC 5 reported that Monte Henderson was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of armed criminal action, and he was held on a bond of $200,000. However, only 24 hours after he was charged, Monte Henderson was let go on bond after posting only $20,000, just 10% of the required amount.

St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy said at a St. Louis Business Journal press conference on Thursday that Monte Henderson had no previous criminal records and that he was driving his mother's car. Tracy also stated that the man would be "held accountable." He further said:

"He destroyed families, killed two people."

He added:

"Now his life is going to be ruined because of reckless driving."

Social media users were outraged at Henderson being let go on a bond. Users agreed that Monte Henderson was a murderer and declared that he should receive a harsh sentence, some wanted him to experience life in prison. The judge who allowed Henderson's release on bond also received a barrage of backlash as people demanded that the judge be fired from the position and even sent to prison.

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"My family demands accountability from everyone everywhere": Nicole Rivera, Laticha Bracero's cousin

Nicole Rivera, Laticha Bracero's cousin, told NBC 5 that the only way she could get through their deaths was by knowing that both Laticha Bracero and Alyssa Cordova were together at the time. According to her, attending concerts together was the mother-daughter duo's "thing."

Rivera revealed that the family had not figured out how to bring home the deceased bodies of the victims. They were also stunned about Henderson being allowed to be released on bond. She accused the police department of failing to reach out to them and the state attorney's office of providing "inaccurate information." She told NBC 5:

"This man should NOT have been able to go home after ONLY 2 days and he took 2 lives. We don't know if he had a driver's license, we don't know if he was under the influence, we don't know his criminal history, we don't know if he's a flight risk, we don't know if he had vehicle insurance."

She added:

"My family demands accountability from everyone everywhere. The driver, the police department, the states attorneys office, the venue, traffic control etc."

A screenshot of the fundraiser (Image via GoFundMe)

A GoFundMe was set up by Michelle L Del Bosque Laticha Bracero's sister to cover the costs of bringing the mother-daughter duo home and providing them with the "best service possible" before laying them to rest. The fundraiser had amassed $36,396 at the time of writing this article.