Bail denied for suspect in boy's murder
The sole suspect in the death of a 4-year-old Butler boy appeared via video before a Butler County judge this afternoon, for a hearing in an unrelated case.
Judge William R. Shaffer lifted a bench warrant against 20-year-old Keith Jordan Lambing that had been issued after Lambing failed to appear for a preliminary hearing on March 20.
That hearing was for a burglary case filed against Lambing on March 8 by Butler City police, who charged him with one count each of felony burglary, criminal trespass and conspiracy, a misdemeanor count of terroristic threats, and a summary count of harassment.
District Judge Lewis Stoughton set a bond of $30,000 in that case, according to online court documents, which Lambing said Friday that he had posted before being released. He told Shaffer that he failed to appear for the preliminary hearing because the court documents were mailed to a Wexford address where he no longer lived.
It was one day later, on March 21, when police began searching for Lambing in connection with the death of 4-year-old Bentley Thomas Miller. Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger said his office intends to charge Lambing with homicide in the case. Lambing and his mother, Kristen Herold, were found Wednesday evening hiding in a home on Walker Avenue.
On Friday Shaffer told Lambing that he was vacating the previous bail amount and ordering him held without bail in the burglary case, noting that he had been found Wednesday with money in his pocket, and the judge believed him to be a flight risk. Schaffer set a new arraignment date of May 2 in the burglary case.
