Back in January 2010, West Haven mother Shengyl Rasim was fatally shot while holding her crying baby, with her young son asleep nearby. Investigators for Ansonia/Milford State’s Attorney Kevin Lawlor didn’t have to look far to find their suspect. The husband, Selami Ozdemir, had a history of being arrested for domestic violence by West Haven police. As he had before, Ozdemir got bonded out by a bail bondsman. This time he borrowed a handgun, shot his wife repeatedly, and then killed himself.
Lawlor’s investigative team found Ozdemir got a deep discount on his bail bond through a practice known as undercutting. Traditionally, defendants have had to fork over 10 percent of their bail cost, but some bail bondsmen now allow discounts and time payments, making it easier for the accused to return to the street. Current Connecticut law doesn’t have any lower limit on bond discounting, and a bondsman could theoretically post a bond for an arrestee for nothing.
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