The man detectives arrested for killing a West Boca Raton High School substitute teacher will stay in jail until his trial.
Late Thursday afternoon, a judge decided to continue holding Garry Pierre at the jail until his trial.
Detectives with Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office believe Pierre shot Christo Maccius to death. At a hearing Thursday, the lead detective played surveillance video from O’Connor’s Pub in West Boca Raton on July 30.
It showed Christo Maccius at the bar with two friends from about 1 a.m. until 4:28 a.m.
Pierre was in the bar and seen on surveillance video outside the bar throughout the morning.
At 4:35, you see muzzle flashes behind a tree next to Maccius’s car after he walked to it to drive home. He died on the scene.
Authorities identified Pierre from surveillance photos shortly after the shooting. They arrested him in Broward County and charged him with first degree murder.
Defendants typically do not have the chance to bond out of jail when they are charged with capital crimes, like murder. But Pierre’s attorney argued his client is innocent and prosecutors don’t have evidence linking him to the crime.
Attorney Jennito Simon pointed out there is no clear surveillance footage of the shooting, there is no DNA evidence connecting Pierre to Maccius, and detectives never found the murder weapon.
Judge Charles Burton thought the evidence was convincing. He pointed to the fact detectives found the same clothes Pierre was wearing in the surveillance footage at his fiancée’s house and he admitted to being at O’Connor’s.
Maccius told his friends at the bar he had a fight with Pierre about four years ago.
Family members of Maccius said they will sleep soundly tonight knowing Pierre cannot bond out of jail.
“That's what the system is for, the system is there to take the facts and make a decision and that's how it works. The facts are there,” said Alison Rubin, who acted as a mother to Maccius.
“Christo will get some justice,” added his surrogate father Steve Rubin. “It won't change anything, the whole thing is just so surreal so many months later. It's just not fair.”
As Pierre's family left the courtroom, one woman said she hoped detectives find “the real killer.” Pierre's lawyer said he's confident a jury will exonerate pierre.
The judge set jury selection for November 30. The murder trial will begin December 4.