Family warned nonprofit not to free repeat offender who allegedly killed man days later

EXCLUSIVE: The Bail Project paid for a repetition offender's merchandise from jailhouse implicit his family’s objections, and helium is present accused of sidesplitting idiosyncratic conscionable days later, Fox News Digital has learned.

Donnie Allen allegedly murdered 27-year-old Benjamin McComas astatine a Cleveland airy obstruction presumption astir 7:30 p.m. connected Sunday, Dec. 14, according to Fox 8. Allen was charged with aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, felonious battle and having weapons portion nether disability.

Court records reviewed by Fox News Digital amusement Allen was charged with cause possession, breaking and entering, vandalism, obstructing authoritative concern and possessing transgression tools successful narration to a abstracted incidental astatine a Cleveland airy obstruction presumption connected Dec. 4.

While his enslaved was initially acceptable astatine $15,000, Judge Joy Kennedy lowered it to $5,000 connected Dec. 8. The Bail Project, a nonprofit, past provided $500 for Allen to beryllium bonded retired of the Cuyahoga County Jail. Just 5 days later, Allen was arrested for the alleged execution of McComas.

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Donnie Allen is accused of sidesplitting a 27-year-old. (Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office)

Two household members, who asked to stay anonymous, told Fox News Digital that The Bail Project contacted them connected Dec. 8 and Dec. 9. The household members said that they warned that Allen should not beryllium released due to the fact that helium would proceed to reoffend and needs nonrecreational assistance oregon to stay incarcerated. 

Fox News Digital obtained a voicemail near for 1 household subordinate successful which a typical for The Bail Project said she met with Donnie and wanted to sermon the enactment posting his bail.

"No this is not a bully idea. You guys should conscionable permission him wherever helium is, due to the fact that he's been successful and retired and successful and retired of jailhouse aggregate times. He needs rehabilitation not release," a household subordinate told The Bail Project. "And they conscionable dismissed it."

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Judge Joy Kennedy lowered Allen's bond. (Cuyahoga County Courts)

"We knew that helium would extremity up successful [jail] anyway, due to the fact that helium does interruption into people's cars and whatnot. We just, we've ever wanted the champion for him. Whenever helium starts doing good, helium self-sabotages and conscionable ends up backmost successful jail. And that's the crushed wherefore we felt the request to fto them cognize that they shouldn't station his bail," the household subordinate told Fox News Digital. "I just consciousness similar the full concern could person been avoided and a beingness would beryllium surviving had they listened to what we had to accidental erstwhile they asked."

"We explicitly warned them that releasing him was a atrocious thought and that helium would apt extremity up backmost successful jail," the idiosyncratic added.

Another household subordinate told Fox News Digital that Allen "isn't stable" and needed to beryllium successful jailhouse oregon rehabilitation.

The execution fishy is simply a repetition offender who has antecedently either pleaded blameworthy oregon was convicted of the pursuing crimes:

- 2024: Two counts of attempted burglary, battle connected a bid officer, obstructing authoritative business, resisting apprehension and cause possession

- 2022: Burglary

- 2021: Burglary

- 2019: Two counts of burglary and 1 number of transgression damaging

Allen's attorney, James Jenkins, antecedently told Fox News Digital that the Dec. 14 alleged execution was "far from" an intentional homicide.

In effect to a petition for comment, a spokesperson for The Bail Project told Fox News Digital immoderate household members supported their determination to station bail for Allen, portion others disagreed.

"The Bail Project does not remark connected the details of idiosyncratic cases oregon backstage conversations, retired of respect for lawsuit privacy, but we tin corroborate that household members supported this client’s release," the radical said. 

"As with galore families navigating a loved one’s incarceration, perspectives among relatives tin and often bash differ. The Bail Project does not adjudicate household disagreements oregon remark connected backstage conversations. Our relation is constricted to providing court-authorized bail assistance done an established reappraisal process, not to substituting our judgement – oregon anyone else’s – for that of the court."

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Police said the alleged execution happened astatine a Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority station. (Google Maps)

A akin incidental happened successful Indianapolis successful 2021.

Dylan McGinnis, 24, was changeable and killed connected Oct. 1, 2021, by Travis Lang, who was antecedently being held successful jailhouse for possession of cocaine successful summation to 3 different felony charges, including breaking and entering, resisting apprehension and burglary, according to Fox 59.

The archetypal charges were filed successful December 2020, and Lang posted $5,650 successful bail funds successful January 2021, according to tribunal documents. The Bail Project assisted with paying a information of the bail.

Lang was convicted successful 2023 of murdering McGinnis.

The Bail Project did not respond to allegations that it ignored Allen’s family’s wishes and paid for his release.