After a court hearing before District Judge James Wheelis on Friday, bail for double murder suspect Caressa Hardy/Glenn Dibley stands at $2 million.

The hearing concerned two main evidentiary items, the first being Hardy’s attorneys requesting access to a woman called ‘Witness A’, who originally went to authorities to turn Hardy in for shooting two men and burning their bodies at the residence near Frenchtown in March of 2013. Prosecutor Brian Lowney said the woman, whose identity is being closely guarded since Hardy/Dibley allegedly tried to hire several people to kill her while he was in jail, does not reside in Montana. Lowney said she would be made available for a deposition on two separate dates in August and September.

Second, the defense wanted their experts to participate while DNA evidence was tested at a lab in Texas. Lowney said the test results themselves will be made available to the defense when they are completed.

Lastly, Hardy’s attorney requested that Judge Wheelis lower his client’s bail to $50,000, since no witness has yet appeared to be deposed, and no physical evidence has yet been provided. Lowney countered with several reasons why bail should remain at $2 million.

“Although he has been in custody, he has endeavored to have a witness in this care killed, so there is substantial danger to at least that witness if not other people in the community,” said Lowney. “The circumstances of this offense indicate that he killed two people and secreted their bodies for a number of years on his property. The two million dollar bail is appropriate when the court looks at the factors to consider when determining what bail to set. That includes whether the offense involved the use of force or violence, which it did, the history and characteristics of the defendant including his employment, his financial resources, length of residency in the community, community ties, past conduct, criminal history, etcetera.”

Lowney used another argument before the judge to keep the defendant safely behind bars.

“This defendant has lived what I would term a vagabond lifestyle,” he said. “He was at his current address for only a short period of time, but before that lived all across the country and has aliases, as well. He has the means and the knowledge to secret himself from this court if he were to be released, and obviously the court must consider the nature and seriousness of the danger to any person or the community if he is released, and as the State’s affidavit makes clear he would pose an extreme danger to the community should he be released, and especially to Witness A, who he has endeavored to have killed even though he is in the most restrictive setting we could put him.”

Lowney said the defendant now responds to the pronoun Mr. Hardy, although when first arrested he identified himself as Caressa Hardy and had long blond hair. He now has short brown hair.

Bail was continued at $2 million, and Hardy was returned to the jail.

 

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