HARDING-JONES BOND SET

A BOND HEARING WAS HELD TUESDAY FOR THE WOMAN ACCUSED OF KILLING FOUR YEAR OLD PILAR RODRIGUEZ MORE THAN A DECADE AGO.  THE ATTORNEY FOR MELISSA HARDING-JONES, FORMERLY MELISSA COOPER, ASKED FOR A STANDARD BOND OF $10,000 DOLLARS FOR A FIRST DEGREE FELONY.  ATTORNEY ROBERT BARRAR ALSO TOLD THE COURT THAT HARDING-JONES HAS SUFFERED FROM MEDICAL PROBLEMS DURING HER TIME IN THE CHARLOTTE COUNTY JAIL, BUT 20^TH CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE JOHN DOMMERICH ORDERED THE BOND BE $75,000 DOLLARS, AND HE ADDED THAT AN ADDITIONAL $5000 DOLLARS CASH BE PAID IN CASE THE STATE INCURS EXTRADITION FEES FOR FUTURE COURT DATES FOR HARDING-JONES, WHO LIVES IN SUBURBAN SEATTLE WASHINGTON.  HARDING-JONES WAS ARRESTED LAST MONTH AND CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED MANSLAUGHTER AS SHE WAS THE BABYSITTER WHEN RODRIGUEZ DISAPPEARED WHILE ON VACATION IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY BACK IN 1999.  THE GIRL’S BODY HAS NEVER BEEN FOUND.