A Florida prosecutor is standing by the decision to release a man previously considered insane, who is now accused of stalking and murdering three tourists near Disney World shortly after his liberation.
State Attorney Monique Worrell explained that Ahmad Jihad Bojeh, aged 29, was released in accordance with Florida law after mental health professionals assessed that he no longer posed a threat. At that point, both prosecutors and judges lacked the legal grounds to keep him in custody.
“This individual navigated the legal framework,” Worrell stated. “Once deemed not a threat, the law restricted any further involuntary detainment.”
Worrell further noted that Bojeh was required to continue with outpatient treatment; however, he fell out of compliance due to financial constraints. “It appears he missed treatment sessions because he couldn’t afford them,” she added.
The victims have been identified as Robert Luis Kraft, 70, from Holland, Michigan; his brother, Douglas Joseph Kraft, 68, from Columbus, Ohio; and James John Puchan, 69, also from Columbus. (Information provided by family members)
Authorities report that Bojeh allegedly monitored the three men from a nearby residence as they awaited roadside help outside their vacation rental, subsequently approaching them and opening fire, killing them without apparent motivation.
The victims – brothers Robert Luis Kraft, 70, of Holland, Michigan, and Douglas Joseph Kraft, 68, of Columbus, Ohio, along with their friend James John Puchan, 69, also of Columbus – were visiting Central Florida to attend a collector car auction. They had extended their stay after experiencing rental car trouble and were preparing to leave when they were shot.
WATCH: Prosecutor explains release before triple tourist killing
Bojeh, who lived next door to the rental property, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and is being held without bond.
Bojeh was arrested in connection with a previous shooting incident in 2021, but was later found not guilty by reason of insanity, according to court records obtained by WKMG-TV. (Osceola County Sheriff’s Office)
Ahmad Jihad Bojeh, 29, was booked into the Osceola County Jail on three counts of premeditated murder. (Osceola County Jail)
The killings have renewed scrutiny of Bojeh’s prior violent history, including a 2021 case in which he was charged with attempted first-degree murder after allegedly firing a gun at a person and at random vehicles at a gas station.
In that case, Bojeh was found not guilty by reason of insanity and later released under conditional supervision.
Bojeh lived at a home next door to the rental where the victims were murdered, authorities said. (FOX35 Orlando WOFL )
Critics, including Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, have argued that the insanity defense and conditional release system allowed a violent offender to return to the community unchecked. He has called for narrowing the insanity defense, saying it has become a loophole that puts the public at risk.
“Across the country, we see violent criminals getting to walk free, back into society, because of insanity defenses,” Uthmeier told Fox News Digital. “We won’t tolerate leftist prosecutors releasing murderers and violent criminals to hurt our families.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Worrell’s office for comment.
