Attorney For Kidnapping Suspect Waives Bond Hearing

A former death row inmate charged with kidnapping a Gaston County man, his daughter and two grandchildren will be held without bond until his case goes to a grand jury later this month.

Jerry Douglas Case appeared in a federal courtroom in Charlotte on Monday morning for a detention hearing. His newly appointed attorney waived the detention and bond hearing.

Authorities said the 52-year-old took the family from a Belmont fishing hole, threatened to kill them and forced them to drive around North and South Carolina for about 16 hours.

Prosecutors said the man, his adult daughter, his 7-year-old granddaughter and 9-month-old grandson escaped by driving away when Case got out of the vehicle at a gas station near Gaffney, S.C.

Case was apprehended after a shootout with police. During his last appearance in court, Case was in a wheelchair. He was able to walk into court on his own Monday.

Case was sentenced to death row in 1986 in the killing of a Tennessee taxi driver. He got a life sentence on a retrial and was released on parole in 2007. He has been arrested four times since his release.

Case’s sister, Glenda Upton, was in court to support him, but she would only say that she told her brother she loves him.

Last week she told the media he’s not a monster. She said, “Don’t believe everything that’s being said.”

One of the victims' family members said previously that Case should have never been paroled. Thank you for participating. Do you think the state's parole system needs overhauled? Do you think the state's parole system needs overhauled? Yes No

Local attorney Lyle Yurko said Case would not have been on the streets if he was convicted of murder after 1994. He said he was on the commission that was part of helping the state changed its sentencing guidelines.

"There is no parole (for life sentences) in North Carolina from 1994 to the present. Life means life," he said.

If Case is convicted of four counts of kidnapping, he will spend at least 20 years in prison.

• RAW VIDEO: Kidnapping Suspect Jerry Case Leaves Court

Previous Stories: July 30, 2009: Family Of Accused Kidnapper Defends Him As He Appears In Federal Court July 24, 2009: Feds Charge Ex-Convict With Kidnapping Gaston County Family July 23, 2009: Sister: Case Kidnapped Family Out Of Desperation July 20, 2009: Grandfather Says He Was Certain Kidnapper Would Kill Him July 20, 2009: New Clues Unveiled In Violent Family Kidnapping