The man accused of the Pasadena murders is currently in Harris County Jail due to cirrhosis of the liver and is fighting for his life, according to a lawyer representing him. Eric Cano has been charged with murder and is awaiting his trial. Cano had been hospitalized for the last month and a half due to liver failure and was recently returned to prison after being given two weeks to live. Attorney Wade Smith reports that Cano is completely bedridden and may suffer from dysfunction of other organs or internal bleeding.
Smith believes that Cano poses no security threat to any community and should be released to die at home with hospice care. Cano had previously posted $250,000 bail and spent almost two years free while awaiting trial before being unable to appear in court on Wednesday. Cano’s bail was quadrupled in May by Judge Ramona Franklin after Cano’s attorneys attended all scheduled court appearances and reported no bail violations.
Andy Cahan, Victim Services Director at CrimeStoppers, said that Judge Franklin must have looked at Cano’s entire criminal record and made a tough decision. In August 2020, the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association filed a complaint against Franklin alleging that she conducted an offense without notice or cause, but no public disciplinary action was taken.
Franklin has suggested that Cano’s family pay a reinstated original bail amount or a new bail amount or come up with a plan for where Cano can go upon his release. However, Smith does not believe that option is viable. Cano’s murder trial is scheduled for August, but Smith does not think the trial will be over by that time. The office of Click2Houston did not respond to a request for comment.