The Baltimore woman who ? along with her husband ? is charged with the first-degree murder of her landlord has gotten her bail reduced to $10,000.
Catherine Palmer, 46, of the 600 block of Clinton Street, remained locked up at Baltimore City?s Central Booking facility Thursday, needing to post $1,000 to be released, according to jail officials. She had previously been held without bond.
Over the objections of prosecutors, Baltimore City District Court Judge Catherine Curran O?Malley, also the state?s first lady, reduced Palmer?s bail earlier this week, after her defense attorney argued Palmer is a frail woman who needs her diabetes medication.
“Bail is not supposed to be a penalty,” said James Scott, Palmer?s attorney. “There are lots of factors taken into consideration. I think Judge O?Malley saw things very clearly. We would request her to be released on her own recognizance, but the judge did not see fit to do this.”
Prosecutors had argued that her bail should remain the same, after investigation revealed Palmer?s husband, Edward, 58, stabbed their landlord to death on April 13, allegedly in self-defense, and the couple disposed of the body by wrapping in carpets and bags. The couple cleaned up the blood because their family was coming over for a visit, prosecutors said.
Catherine Palmer later described the meal as a “lovely evening,” charging documents said. She and her husband drove to a friend?s house to try to get them to assist them in disposing the body ? and when he refused, set the body on fire with gasoline.
Authorities focused on the couple after a tip that a man named Palmer was responsible for disposing of the body discovered in Essex, police said.
Several witnesses told police Palmer sought help from friends to dispose of a body April 14.
Later, police said, Palmer borrowed a black Crown Victoria, drove the victim?sbody to a construction site in Essex, poured gasoline on the body and burned it. An autopsy determined the victim had died of stab wounds and blunt-force trauma.
