Judge denies bond a third time for man charged in Secoriea Turner's murder

ATLANTA - Julian Conley, the man accused of killing 8-year-old Secoriea Turner, was denied bond during a hearing Friday.

According to police, Turner was riding in a Jeep with her mother and an adult friend when they turned off the Downtown Connector onto University Avenue slightly on the night of July 4, 2020. Protestors had recently erected illegal barricades, according to authorities, encircling a nearby Wendy's that became a gathering point after Rayshard Brooks' death at the hands of an Atlanta police officer.

When the driver attempted to enter a liquor store parking lot on the 1200 block of Pryor Road, police say he was confronted by a group of armed individuals who had blocked the entrance. Authorities said at least two men fired multiple times at the vehicle, hitting Turner.

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After the shooting, Turner's family drove straight to Atlanta Medical Center, where they met police officers and she died following treatment.

Conley, who was then 19-years-old, told FOX 5 that he was at the scene, witnessed the shooting, and even had a gun, but he emphasized he did not fire his weapon.

"Nobody wanted that to happen," Conley said in court. "It was a tragedy that it did happen."

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This was the third time a judge considered issuing a bond for Conley since his arrest last July, which happened on the same day Turner was laid to rest.

Meanwhile, the family continues to plead for witnesses to come forward about the shooting.

While police say numerous people fired shots into the car, only Conley has been charged.

Turner's family plans to sue the city for failing to remove armed protesters who had taken over the intersection. They are also seeking an additional $4 million for property damage and injuries sustained by Turner's mother and her mother's boyfriend.

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