Outrage in Harris County: Judge Slashes Bond for Murder Suspect with Criminal Past

Harris County, Texas, is grappling with intense controversy following a judicial decision that has left residents furious. On June 18, 2025, Judge Morton reduced the bond for Hernandez Cornejo, an El Salvadoran national charged with the brutal murder of a woman in Houston, to just $50,000. This ruling, despite Cornejo’s prior criminal record and the horrific nature of the crime, has been widely criticized by Harris County constituents as reckless and a threat to public safety

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The case involves a disturbing pattern of violence. Cornejo allegedly stalked his victim for months, using listening devices and GPS tracking to invade her privacy. The campaign of harassment ended in a vicious attack at the victim’s workplace, where Cornejo stabbed her to death. A responding officer described the scene as one of the most gruesome he had ever witnessed. Following Cornejo’s arrest for murder, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office requested a $100,000 bond, but a hearing officer set it at $350,000, reflecting the crime’s severity. Shockingly, Judge Morton lowered the bond to $50,000, fully aware of Cornejo’s status as an El Salvadoran citizen with a criminal history.

In court, Cornejo acknowledged living in Houston for 17 years while remaining a Salvadoran national. He is currently detained at the Harris County Jail under an immigration detainer from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), meaning that, if released on bond, he would be transferred to federal custody for deportation proceedings. However, Harris County constituents argue that the reduced bond heightens the risk of a dangerous individual slipping through the cracks, given his alleged history of obsessive and violent behavior.

The decision has sparked outrage among Harris County residents, who view it as a failure of the judicial system to prioritize victim justice and community safety. “This individual terrorized his victim, stalked her relentlessly, and then brutally murdered her,” said one local resident. “Reducing his bond to $50,000, knowing he’s a foreign national with a criminal record, is unacceptable.”