Suspect in triple killing released from jail

Man accused of killing baby, 2 women

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A man accused of killing a baby and two women was released from jail on his own recognizance Friday morning.

Lineten Belizaire, 21, was arrested Jan. 22 in connection with the killings of Natasha Plummer, 25, her 6-month-old son, Carlton Stringer Jr., and Octavia Barnett, 21.

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Belizaire was being held without bond while the Broward State Attorney's Office went to a grand jury in the hope that it would come back with an indictment. The grand jury had 40 days to do so.

The grand jury made the decision to release Belizaire.

Ron Ishoy, of the State Attorney's Office, said the grand jury released a preliminary indication Thursday that further investigation should be conducted and that additional evidence should be presented to it so the grand jurors could "more fully and properly determine whether formal criminal charges should be brought against Lineten Rashin Belizaire or any other involved individual."

Ishoy said with the further investigation and evidence, Belizaire could be charged in the future.

Belizaire will be a free man while investigators continue to build their case.

The victims were found dead with gunshot wounds inside a Lauderdale Lakes apartment Jan. 15. Barnett's 11-month-old son survived.

The Broward Sheriff's Office said a Facebook posting by Barnett led them to Belizaire. According to police, Barnett posted that Belizaire was at her door and that she was scared.

Relatives said there was no direct mention of Belizaire in the Facebook post, only that of a boyfriend. Police would not confirm the exact wording of the post.

Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti released the following statement after Belizaire's release:

"I am disappointed that the Grand Jury deferred action in our triple murder case. Our detectives worked tirelessly to compile the evidence and establish probable cause. It was sufficient to obtain an arrest warrant for murder in the first degree but apparently not enough to satisfy the Grand Jurors. O.J. Simpson and Casey Anthony remind us that people today expect flawless, airtight cases, but with all our efforts and our resources we can't always build one. Two women and a baby were murdered in cold blood and the Broward Sheriff's Office will not close this case until the killer is brought to justice."

Belizaire left the jail Friday afternoon with his uncle at his side. He did not comment.

"I feel like they didn't do, they didn't do enough to, like, look for other people. They just focused in on one person on hearsay," said Belizaire's uncle, Ernest Baldwin. "But, I don't want to comment too much on that. I'm just thankful to have him home, and the family's happy, and glory be to God."

Under the law, an indictment must occur within 180 days of the alleged crime.