photo by: Chris Conde/Special to the Journal-World

Julius Beasley appears on Wednesday, Oct 30, 2024, in Douglas County District Court. He has been ordered to stand trial in connection with the stabbing death of a woman at an unsanctioned homeless camp in North Lawrence.

A Douglas County judge on Thursday declined to modify the bond of a man facing charges of aggravated residential burglary and robbery.

The defendant, Julius Beasley, 42, is being held in the Douglas County Jail on a cash or surety bond of $75,000. He was jailed following his arrest in March, less than three weeks after the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office dropped a murder charge against him.

Beasley’s attorney, Angela Keck, asked Judge Stacey Donovan to dramatically reduce Beasley’s bond or allow him to be released on pretrial monitoring or house arrest, arguing that Beasley’s alleged victim in the robbery was actually the instigator and had “severely injured” her client. She said Beasley would live with his parents in Ottawa and would “try to get a job at American Eagle” while continuing to work with Bert Nash on his mental health issues. She said Beasley suffered from post traumatic stress disorder due to being “wrongfully and falsely incarcerated for over two years on a murder charge he did not commit” and that he had missed out on important time with his children and other relatives.

Prosecutor Cody Smith objected to the bond being reduced, saying that Beasley had consistently had problems while on out-of-jail supervision, including double-digit instances of probation and/or parole violations and 19 failures to appear in court when ordered to do so. He also said the state’s evidence regarding the burglary and robbery charges was “strong” and that Beasley had prior convictions in Douglas County for burglary and attempted burglary, in addition to having a likely “B” criminal history score, which is the second worst under the state sentencing guidelines.

Judge Donovan agreed with the reasons set forth by Smith and declined to change the bond for Beasley.

“The court believes bond is appropriate as set,” she said, noting that Beasley could possibly be heard on bond at a future date.

Beasley, who was accused of murdering 51-year-old Crystal Marie White two years ago at a North Lawrence homeless camp, was arrested just before 11 p.m. March 20 at an apartment in the 600 block of Maine Street. According to Lawrence police, officers responded to a call of a burglary in progress at the apartment and found two injured men.

They saw Beasley sitting on a curb and, after some difficulty getting him to cooperate, were able to detain him. The other man was inside the apartment. He told police that he was sitting outside when a man he didn’t know went into his apartment and tried to take his wallet.The resident said that a violent fight ensued but that he was eventually able to get Beasley out, shut the door and call for help.

Smith told the court Thursday that glass from a broken storm door and a struggle over a pair of scissors had bloodied both men. He also indicated that a neighbor woman had told police that Beasley had attempted to break into her home just a few nights prior.

As the Journal-World reported, Beasley’s first-degree murder charge was dismissed on March 2 at the request of Douglas County DA Dakota Loomis, who cited a lack of evidence. The murder charge was originally brought by former DA Suzanne Valdez. The charge was dismissed without prejudice, meaning it can be filed again.

According to Kansas Department of Corrections records, Beasley has a history of multiple drug convictions, burglary and criminal threat, and he reportedly had absconded from his post-release supervision on Feb. 19, 2024, after being released from prison earlier into Douglas County. He was previously an inmate at Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility.