CONTINUING NEWS: Student posts bail in manslaughter case

Murray State sophomore Burgess Harrison Yonts, who was charged with second degree manslaughter, posted bail Monday morning in Calloway County District Court after his cash bond was reduced to $25,000.

Yonts' attorney, Mark Blankenship, made the oral motion for bond reduction at the arraignment, according to court records. Calloway County Attorney David Harrington opposed any bond reduction.

District Court Judge Jeanne Carroll set several conditions for Yonts' release. Yonts had to surrender his passport, cannot use alcohol or drugs, is subject to random drug testing, cannot leave the state, cannot be arrested for any violation and is required to report to his pretrial conference according to court records.

Yonts, 20, of Greenville, waived his arraignment. His preliminary hearing is set for 10 a.m. Dec. 13.

The Murray Police Department arrested Yonts Friday afternoon in connection with the death investigation of graduate student Nadia Shahin.

Yonts, Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity member and sophomore from Greenville, was charged with one count of second degree manslaughter, which is a class C Felony and carries a five- to 10-year sentence.

Officials discovered 63-year-old Shahin's body about 6:30 a.m. Friday in a ditch on Coldwater Road, near Baldy's Grill in Murray.

According to a press release from the Murray Police Department, officers obtained evidence at the crime scene and connected it to Yonts' vehicle through a canvass search of the area.

According to Detective Kendra Smith's affidavit, she found a silver car mirror lying close to Shahin's body at the scene and later traced it to Yonts' address.

"The suspect vehicle had damage to the passenger side quarter panel, passenger side turn signal, passenger side window was knocked out and doorframe damaged," according to Smith's affidavit.

According to the MPD release, officers obtained search warrants for Yonts' vehicle and residence, 12 Wilshire Drive, on Cambridge II.

"After Detective Garland secured a search warrant for 12 Wilshire Drive and the silver Lincoln, I proceeded to the scene," Smith said in the affidavit. "I noticed on the silver Lincoln that there was blood on the passenger side doorframe and what appeared to be teeth marks.

"I also notice that on the passenger side quarter panel was a maroon mark. The deceased was wearing a pair of maroon pants. I then entered (Yonts' residence) and noticed a set of keys located on a table in Mr. Yonts room. The keys were to a Lincoln."

According to Detective Tom Bailey's affidavit, he was called to the scene at 7 a.m. Friday. After collecting the mirror discovered at the scene, he took it to Parker Ford to see if the part number could be traced. The part was identified as a 2000-02 Lincoln LS.

"Officer Patrick Morris found a Lincoln LS silver in color located at (Yonts' residence) in Cambridge Subdivision," according to the affidavit. "This same vehicle was missing a right side mirror."

Multiple sources said Yonts was under the influence of alcohol when he left a Lambda Chi Alpha party early Friday morning.

The Lambda Chi Headquarters in Indianapolis, Ind., required the fraternity to hold an emergency meeting Friday afternoon and suspended all activity for the campus chapter. Officials from headquarters are investigating the fraternity's actions.

The MPD continues the investigation.

The suspect's father, Kentucky Rep. Brent Yonts, D-Greenville, was in Murray Friday afternoon.

Shahin, of Egypt, was to graduate in December 2005 in the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages program. She put her three children, Abdullah Elbannan, Sama Elbannan and Samah Elbannan, through school at Murray State.

Members of the Institute for International Studies office and Shahin's friends on Monday continued planning her memorial service.