Casey Cason continues to be held on a $100,000 bond in the Suwannee County Jail following a hearing at the Suwannee County Courthouse on Friday, July 31, in which Judge William Williams III denied a motion to increase her bond. Cason, 22, of Live Oak is charged with murder after reportedly fatally stabbing 22-year-old Alaina Szortyka of Live Oak on July 19.

“First degree murder is intentional and premeditated,” explained the case’s prosecuting attorney with the State Attorney’s Office of the Third Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. “Premeditated doesn’t mean it has to be this long, drawn-out plan. It means you consciously decided to kill someone, and you can form that intent within seconds.

“Second degree murder means there is no intent to kill,” he continued. “You just want to hurt someone and you don’t care if they live or die. You’re doing something violent and reckless.”

If Cason is charged with either degree, her next court date will be for an arraignment hearing.

For Kevin Szortyka, there’s no questioning what Cason did or why she did it.

“I don’t care if she’s only 22 years old or if she’s got a kid; she should of thought about herself before murdering my sister,” said Kevin.

Kevin said his remaining sister attended the bond hearing Friday thinking it would be a small ordeal, but there were at least 50 other people there. Kevin believes they were family members or supporters of Cason. The prosecutor confirmed there was a large number of people present but could not speculate on why they were there.

“In our grieving, we failed to get people to the courthouse,” Kevin said.

Kevin said he and his family are organizing protests to increase awareness to their side of the case as much as possible. They may also hold a candlelight vigil at the courthouse. Dates and times have not been set yet.

Szortyka’s father, also named Kevin Szortyka, believes Cason’s bond is much too low for the crime she is being charged with.

“I’ve seen $250,000 bonds for drugs and child molestation,” he said. “I’ve seen $1 million for murder. Something’s wrong with this country when a murderer can be held on a $100,000 bond.”

Szortyka’s father said he has attempted to have a different judge in charge of the case, but has not been successful.

“I just want to raise awareness to our plight. It seems like the defendant’s been put in the spotlight,” Kevin, Szortyka’s father, said. “She [Cason] is still breathing oxygen in jail and my family, as taxpayers, has to pay for her meals. Meanwhile our daughter is dead.”

On the same day Szortyka was fatally stabbed, 27-year-old Ronald Harrell Cates shot and killed his father, Ronald Howell Cates, 64, outside of their shared home on 66th St. in Suwannee County. Cates is currently being held in the Suwannee County Jail without bond on charges of murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of explosive materials.