Douglas County judge keeps bond at $75,000 in North Lawrence case
Julius Beasley stayed jailed on $75,000 bond as the murder case tied to Crystal White’s North Lawrence death shifted to burglary and robbery charges.
Julius Beasley will remain in the Douglas County Jail on a cash-or-surety bond of $75,000 after Judge Stacey Donovan declined to lower it at a hearing Thursday in Douglas County District Court.
The ruling means Beasley, 42, stays behind bars unless he posts the bond or a later hearing changes his custody status. In practical terms, the judge left in place the financial condition that keeps him detained while his felony case moves forward on charges of aggravated residential burglary and robbery.
Those charges are tied to the stabbing death of Crystal Marie White, who was found dead Feb. 22, 2024, near 100 Maple St. in North Lawrence on her 51st birthday. The case has drawn sustained attention because it centers on an unsanctioned homeless camp and the long-running public debate in Lawrence over safety, homelessness and the resources available to prevent deaths on the streets.
The bond ruling came after the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office moved March 2 to dismiss the first-degree murder charge against Beasley, saying there was a lack of evidence. The dismissal was entered without prejudice, meaning prosecutors can refile the murder charge later. Beasley was then arrested again March 20 and charged March 23 with aggravated residential burglary and robbery, and at that point he was being held on a $500,000 bond.
The lower bond request was made by defense attorney Angela Keck, who argued at the hearing that the robbery alleged victim was the instigator and had severely injured Beasley. Donovan declined to reduce the amount, keeping Beasley in custody as the burglary and robbery case continues.
The aggravated residential burglary charge carries added weight because Kansas law covers not just houses, but tents and other structures when a person is present. That detail is central in this case, where the alleged conduct is tied to a tent at a North Lawrence camp.
Beasley had previously pleaded not guilty in November 2024 to first-degree murder, and a two-week trial had been set for June 2-13, 2025 before the murder case was dismissed. With the current bond unchanged, the immediate question is not trial scheduling but whether prosecutors add more evidence, whether the defense seeks another review, and whether the older murder case returns to court.
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