Man Beat Wife To Death After Being Released From Jail On Bail

A Missouri man was charged Tuesday with killing his wife hours after being let out of prison on bail. He had been arrested earlier in April for a previous domestic incident, and was out of jail after his bail was posted by a nonprofit organization.

Samuel Lee Scott, 54, from St. Louis was charged with first-degree murder following the death of his wife, 54-year-old Marcia Johnson. The victim was taken to the hospital by a friend April 9, after the latter saw blood coming out of Johnson’s head and body.

According to court records obtained by CBS-affiliated KMOV4, Johnson was unconscious while being transferred to the hospital, having suffered a broken eye socket, several broken ribs and multiple bruises in various parts of her body. Preliminary findings suggested she died April 14, from blunt force trauma to the head.

The earlier incident occurred Jan. 6, when officers responded to a domestic violence call at Scott’s residence. At the time, the accused was believed to have struck his wife in the right side of her face, bruising her ear and cheekbone. He also reportedly told her he “might as well finish what [he] started since [she] was going to contact the police.”

After branding Scott "wanted" for assault in the fourth degree, the court issued a warrant April 5 for Scott's arrest, calling him a danger to the public. Four days after his arrest, Scott was served with a restraining order that prohibited him from getting within 300 feet of his wife or going to her house. On the same day, his $5,000 bail bond was posted by the nonprofit St. Louis Bail Project.

As soon as he was released from the custody, Scott went to Johnson’s home and fatally struck her. He was arrested Monday. After being charged with murder, he admitted to hitting his wife, an action that caused her death. Following Johnson’s death, the State of Missouri confirmed it had attempted to notify the victim after her husband was released but could not be sure if she ever received the message.

When the St. Louis Bail Project was approached by local media, the organization denied the insinuation that its help in paying Scott’s bail played a role in Johnson’s death, adding that Scott – a father of eight – had the means to post his own bail.

“It’s important to remember that bail didn’t cause this tragedy… We provided bail assistance based on the fact that the court had deemed him eligible for release before trial. No one could have predicted this tragedy. In times like this, we must come together for Marcia’s family and also keep sight of the injustices of incarcerating poor people before trial and the need to invest in community-based services that can support St. Louisans during times of crisis,” the statement said.

"We’re deeply saddened by this tragedy. Many of us and our close relations have lost family members to violence and we are heartbroken that this has happened to yet another member of the St. Louis community. Our deepest condolences and sympathies go to Marcia Johnson’s family. Moments like this are devastating and a symptom of St. Louis’ failure to address the underlying issues,” the organization added.

The Circuit Attorney's Office, which filed the murder charges against Scott, issued the following statement:

“Domestic violence matters are especially complicated for both the legal system and for families dealing with these heartbreaking disputes. As various organizations attempt to address bail reform, we believe every case should be reviewed on its own merits rather than on broad classifications that may increase greater harm than it reduces. In our efforts to reduce community harm, we all must keep the safety of victims and the public as our top priority for all criminal justice policies or procedures.”