ST. LOUIS – Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, at risk of possibly being removed from office, issued a new statement on her office’s response leading up to a tragic situation involving a teenage girl.
Last weekend, Janae Edmondson, 17, was in town for a volleyball tournament. While walking to her hotel with family, a driver who was out on bond failed to yield and collided with another vehicle. That vehicle then struck the Edmonson, who has had both of her legs amputated since the collision. She remains hospitalized in critical condition on Wednesday.
The man accused in the crash, 21-year-old Daniel Riley, was out on bond from a 2020 armed robbery case. Last August, he was given a personal recognizance bond that required him to be tracked by GPS and stay at home. Court records show he violated house arrest dozens of times leading up to the crash.
In her new statement, released late Wednesday evening, Gardner claims that “judges have sole authority to determine the bond conditions of a defendant” and that “bond violations and decisions do not solely rest on the shoulders of prosecutors.”
For Riley’s criminal case, Gardner says prosecutors asked for higher bonds several times, though judges denied such requests. She says the most recent effort to address bond conditions came in January 2023, though says “there was no response” upon asking the court for a hearing date over Riley’s bond.
Gardner’s office alleges there were also efforts to revoke Riley’s bond as early as Dec. 21, 2021, less than two months after he was initially allowed out of jail on personal recognizance and GPS tracking.
Riley was arrested and charged with second-degree assault in Saturday’s crash. He pleaded not guilty during a court appearance on Tuesday, but remains in custody after a judge denied him bond.
Prior to Gardner’s response, the Missouri Attorney General has issued an ultimatum for her to resign by noon Thursday or face removal in the case. She faced mounting calls from Missouri lawmakers and St. Louis Aldermen to resign, while St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones added that Gardners “needs to do some soul-searching” after recent developments.
The incident adds to many waves of criticism and challenges facing Gardner’s office. She was previously disciplined last year amid allegations of concealing evidence in a high-profile case. Former Attorney General Eric Schmitt also accused her of concealing evidence in efforts to vacate the conviction of Lamar Johnson.
As for the Edmondson and her family, Gardner noted in her statement the she expresses “my personal deepest sympathy” and that her office “will put all of our resources into holding Daniel Riley accountable.”