Father of suspect free after posting bond

HILLSBOROUGH -- The aunt of one of the suspects in Josh Bailey's murder says a judge went easy on Greg Minton, the father of another suspect, who went free after posting $100,000 bond Monday.

Superior Court Judge Carl Fox lowered Minton's bail from $1 million Monday morning. Minton is charged with acting as an accessory to first-degree murder after the fact in connection with the slaying of Bailey, 20, of Chapel Hill. Fox said the typical bail for the class C felony would be $60,000, but District Attorney Jim Woodall said these were unusual circumstances.

Woodall said Minton visited the crime scene off Twisted Oak Drive in Chapel Hill sometime in August, between the shooting July 29 and when his son and two others moved the body to Chatham County in late August. Authorities say Minton also advised his son Brian and five other murder suspects about how to use hydrochloric acid to destroy evidence of the crime.

"I think the judge was lenient with his bond, because I would think an adult should know better than to cover up a crime," said Debbie Gilmore, whose nephew Jack "Black Jack" Johnson II is charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping.

Minton's wife, Mishele, 37, is also charged as an accessory.

Investigators say she drove another suspect, Jacob Maxwell, 18, to Lowe's Home Improvement store to purchase hydrochloric acid and rented a U-Haul under a fake name from the Minton family business. Mishele Minton will have a bond hearing Wednesday morning at 9:30. Carrboro attorney Russ Hollers represents her.

Requesting the lower bail Monday, Greg Minton's lawyer John Fitzpatrick said Minton had to care for his 14-year-old son.

"There's no allegation that Mr. Minton ever harmed Mr. Bailey," Fitzpatrick said. "A million dollars clearly is excessive. ... He's not a flight risk. He's not a threat to society."

But Woodall pointed out that Brian Minton was on probation at the time of Bailey's murder because of a previous conviction for possessing a weapon of mass destruction -- a sawed-off shotgun that had been stored at Minton's BP station.

"I think there's a pattern here of irresponsibility on this man's part," Woodall said. "He would do whatever he needs to do to protect his son, and I think that endangers this community."