The woman charged in connection with last month’s murder of a Knox man may soon be out of jail on bond, but she will still be subject to strict restrictions. Augusta Hadden, 39, is charged with the level 5 felony offense of assisting a criminal. Court documents indicate she threw a cell phone out of a truck driven by murder suspect Edward Blackburn after he fatally shot Cord Colgrove at a rural North Judson residence on March 3rd.
Hadden was arrested the next day and has been jailed since on a $200,000 surety bond. Her attorney, Jim Thiros of Merrillville, argued today before Starke Circuit Judge Kim Hall that it is excessive given her lack of criminal history and in comparison to bonds for other Starke County inmates.
Starke County Prosecutor Nick Bourff believes Hadden is a flight risk due to her lack of local ties and desire to be with her family in Alabama.
Last week Judge Hall denied Hadden’s motion to reduce her bond and ordered Starke County Community Corrections to evaluate her for placement in their program. They did and determined she meets their qualifications.
Judge Hall agreed this morning to lower Hadden’s bond to $50,000 with the stipulation that half be cash and half be surety. That means her friends and family members will need to put up a combined $5,000, which is 10 percent of the bond amount, to secure her freedom.
If she bonds out of jail, Hadden will be released to the custody of Starke County Community Corrections and placed on GPS monitoring. Additionally, Hadden will need permission from community corrections to leave the home where she will be staying. Judge Hall also ordered her not to have any contact with Blackburn or with any members of Colgrove’s family. Blackburn is jailed without bond in Starke County.
Hadden’s next court appearance is Thursday, June 29 in Starke Circuit Court.
