‘It’s frustrating’: Sheriff reacts to suspect’s release in deadly road rage shooting

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Viewers reached out to Factfinder 12 after Daryon Boone was released from jail on Sunday on a $500,000 bond. Two days earlier, Wichita police arrested Boone as a murder suspect in the shooting death of 69-year-old Norma Williams.

Police said Williams was the front passenger of a 2021 Honda Ridgeline traveling northbound on Greenwich Friday night. When she and her husband reached the intersection at Kellogg, police said a group of motorcycles riding eastbound ran the red light. A motorcycle driven by Boone struck the couple’s vehicle.

Police said the couple tried to get away from the group, but as Boone and two or three other riders followed the couple’s vehicle, the 19-year-old produced a handgun and shot twice into the vehicle, killing Williams.

Boone was arrested and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail for first-degree murder among other charges related to the deadly shooting. But now, he’s out of jail.

Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter said there has been an uptick in accused violent offenders bonding out of jail because local bail bonding companies are offering lower percentages to bond people out.

The sheriff said he’s even seen bond percentages as low as 1% of the entire bond.

“You spend all this time and resources to try and get that person into custody and start the process of holding them accountable for the crimes that they committed, especially when it’s murder. And you see them bond back out with the possibility of committing more crimes while they’re out on bond or more victims, I should say, while they’re out on bond,” said Easter. “It is frustrating, but that’s how the system’s set up. People have the right to bond out of jail.”

The sheriff said there is no law against bail bonding companies accepting lower percentages.

Easter said he and Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan are discussing if law enforcement should take the issue to legislation to create a threshold for bonds concerning certain crimes, including murder.

Copyright 2023 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com