BOND LOWERED FOR CALDWELL MAN ACCUSED OF MURDER
(Burleson Co. Jail)
A Caldwell man accused in the shooting death of an Arkansas man is now facing a new charge, but his bond has been lowered.
The bond for 35-year-old Michael Leonard McFarlane, charged with murder in the death of 36-year-old Zachary Rockwell, has been reduced from $450,000 to $270,000.
According to Burleson County District Attorney Julie Renken, McFarlane, who was previously charged with tampering with physical evidence, is now charged with third-degree felony abuse of a corpse. Renken said the charge comes from the body being buried in a hidden grave.
Originally, McFarlane’s bond was set at $400,000 for the murder charge, and $25,000 each for the evidence tampering and abuse charges. It is now $250,000 for the murder charge, and $10,000 for the other charges. His bond was reduced Monday at a bond reduction hearing before District Judge Carson Campbell.
The body of Rockwell was recovered July 9th near a home northwest of Caldwell, after he had been reported missing by family members.
According to Renken, Rockwell sustained a gunshot wound to the head from a handgun, but official autopsy results are still pending with the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office.
A Burleson County Grand Jury will hear the case, but a date has not been set.