First-degree murder charges for man accused of killing 3 Kissimmee tourists
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. - A man accused of killing three tourists in Kissimmee in January was indicted with three charges of first-degree murder.
What we know:
Ahmad Jihad Bojeh, 29, is accused of killing three people visiting Kissimmee on Jan. 17.
State Attorney Monique Worrell said Ahmad Bojeh, who is accused of killing three men in Kissimmee in January, was indicted on three first-degree murder charges on Feb. 26.
Bojeh was initially charged with three counts of second-degree murder by State Attorney Monique Worrell's office within the Ninth Judicial Circuit, who said that for someone to be charged with first-degree murder they must be indicted by a grand jury.
After a grand jury convened Thursday morning, Feb. 26, Bojeh was indicted on three counts of first-degree murder in connection to three deaths in January.
They ‘did not deserve this’
Three men – brothers Robert Luis Kraft, 69, of Holland, Michigan and Douglas Joseph Kraft, 68, of Columbus, Ohio and their friend James Puchan, 68, from Ohio – were in Kissimmee attending a Mecum Car Show. They were waiting for help with rental car trouble when Bojeh allegedly shot and killed them.
"There were no known interactions between the men and this individual prior to the event; they were then approached and senselessly murdered. This was a random, tragic act," the Kraft brothers and Puchan's family said.
Three men killed in a triple homicide in Kissimmee on Jan. 17 were identified as James Puchan, Douglas Kraft and Robert Kraft (left to right).
The families of the victims issued a statement on behalf of their spouses, fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers, and friends.
Read more: 'A random, tragic act': 3 tourists dead in 'senseless' Kissimmee shooting
"These three wonderful men did not deserve this. Our families are left with an unexpected, unimaginable loss that cannot be put into words. We ask for privacy, prayers, and respect as we mourn and begin to process this tragedy," the joint statement said.
Watch: Full press conference
Man accused of killing 3 Kissimmee tourists indicted first-degree murder
FULL PRESS CONFERENCE | Ahmad Bojeh, who is accused of killing three men visiting Kissimmee in January, was indicted by a grand jury with three counts of first-degree murder on Feb. 26, State Attorney Monique Worrell said.
Will the death penalty be considered?
"Now that the indictment has returned, the case will be considered by the prosecutor as to whether or not that case should be turned over to our capital case review panel," Worrell said during a Feb. 26 press conference.
Ahmad Bojeh.
Part of the panel's purview is to evaluate whether capital punishment is legally authorized and appropriate in individual cases, Worrell said. The panel will review the law and the evidence to make a recommendation regarding whether the death penalty is the appropriate resolution, she said.
In response to the second-degree murder charges, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said on Feb. 12, "That's not enough. I certainly hope it's going to go further. We would like to see the death penalty pursued, which will take a grand jury finding."
Will Bojeh be found incompetent?
Regarding cases where competency is questioned, Worrell said it's the court that orders independent evaluations from quality mental health experts.
"The legal question is specific: whether the accused has a present ability to understand the proceedings and assist in his defense," Worrell said.
FOX 35 learned that Bojeh was previously charged with attempted first-degree murder with a firearm, aggravated battery and two counts of criminal mischief in 2021.
Bojeh spent less than a year and a half locked up. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
That’s an affirmative defense, meaning Bojeh and his attorney admit he committed the crime. However, the statute explains, because of a mental illness, he either didn’t understand the consequences or didn’t know what he did was wrong.
The court approved outpatient mental health treatment rather than committing Bojeh to a state mental health facility, ruling that he did not meet the legal standard of being "manifestly dangerous" at the time.
The State Attorney’s Office and Bojeh’s defense attorney agreed to skip a jury trial and let a judge make the ruling solo. They also stipulated for Bojeh to get outpatient treatment instead of being committed to a State Mental Health Facility.
What they're saying:
Former Ninth Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Belvin Perry Jr. said insanity pleas are rarely successful and noted that Bojeh could again pursue such a defense. However, Perry said it would be more difficult this time to argue that Bojeh does not pose a danger to himself or others.
"If committed, that commitment would be reviewed annually until a court determines he is no longer mentally ill," Perry said.
What's next:
Bojeh is currently being held without bond at the Osceola County Jail.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from the Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Monique Worrell's office.