The cash bond for a Janesville homicide suspect remains at $50,000 after a judge denied a motion to reduce it.
30-year-old Steven Horan is charged with first-degree reckless homicide in the death of his girlfriend’s 15-month-old daughter last month.
Defense attorneys Walter Isaacson and Matthew Lantta filed a motion to reduce the bail to $5,000, arguing Horan has strong ties to Rock County, no prior felony conviction and no history of missed court appearances.
Horan’s attorney’s also filed a motion to dismiss the charge, which cites insufficient evidence.
“At the preliminary hearing, there really wasn’t a definitive cause of death or evidence of cause of death that was introduced,” Isaacson said in court Thursday.
Assistant District Attorney Rich Sullivan said they do not yet have an official death certificate for the child because the state of Illinois requires a coroner’s inquest, which is still pending.
The 15-month-old girl was airlifted to a hospital in Rockford, where she was later pronounced dead.
Sullivan said multiple medical personnel told police the child’s injuries were consistent with “non-accidental” and severe head trauma.
“There certainly was a significant amount of evidence that the only person available to do that injury at the time, the person who was available with the child, was the defendant,” Sullivan said.
Rock County Judge John Wood sided with the prosecution and denied the motion to modify bond.
He will rule on the motion to dismiss the charge at a hearing scheduled for May 28.
