Leftist prosecutor cites affordability in release of alleged tourist killer near Disney: 'Inability to pay'

Florida

Leftist prosecutor cites affordability in release of alleged tourist killer near Disney: 'Inability to pay'

Ahmad Jihad Bojeh was previously found not guilty by reason of insanity for firing at people and vehicles in 2021

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten Fox News

Published

January 23, 2026 2:21pm EST

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Florida prosecutor says suspect violated release, should have been confined

State Attorney Monique Worrell discussed the release of a man accused of killing three men in Kissimmee after he was released based on an insanity plea from a previous attempted murder charge. (WOFL-TV)

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A Florida prosecutor is defending the release of a man once deemed insane who, shortly after his discharge, allegedly stalked and executed three tourists near Disney World.

State Attorney Monique Worrell said Ahmad Jihad Bojeh, 29, was released under Florida law after mental health evaluators determined he was no longer a danger and that prosecutors and judges had no legal authority to keep him confined.

"The individual went through the legal process," Worrell said. "Once he was deemed no longer dangerous, the statute prohibited involuntary commitment."

Worrell said Bojeh was ordered to continue outpatient treatment but later fell out of compliance when he could no longer pay for care. "My understanding is that he was no longer in compliance because of inability to pay," she said.

Robert Luis Kraft, 70, Douglas Joseph Kraft, 68, and James John Puchan, 69, posing at the car show.

The victims were identified as Robert Luis Kraft, 70, of Holland, Michigan; his brother Douglas Joseph Kraft, 68, of Columbus, Ohio; and James John Puchan, 69, also of Columbus. (Provided by Family)

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Authorities say Bojeh later watched three men from a neighboring home as they waited outside a vacation rental for roadside assistance, then approached and opened fire, killing all three without provocation.

The victims – brothers Robert Luis Kraft, 70, of Holland, Michigan, and Douglas Joseph Kraft, 68, of Columbus, Ohio, along with their friend James John Puchan, 69, also of Columbus – were visiting Central Florida to attend a collector car auction. They had extended their stay after experiencing rental car trouble and were preparing to leave when they were shot.

WATCH: Prosecutor explains release before triple tourist killing

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Bojeh, who lived next door to the rental property, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and is being held without bond.

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Bojeh was arrested in connection with a previous shooting incident in 2021, but was later found not guilty by reason of insanity, according to court records obtained by WKMG-TV. (Osceola County Sheriff's Office)

Ahmad Jihad Bojeh, 29, was booked into the Osceola County Jail on three counts of premeditated murder. (Osceola County Jail)

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The killings have renewed scrutiny of Bojeh’s prior violent history, including a 2021 case in which he was charged with attempted first-degree murder after allegedly firing a gun at a person and at random vehicles at a gas station.

In that case, Bojeh was found not guilty by reason of insanity and later released under conditional supervision.

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Bojeh lived at a home next door to the rental where the victims were murdered, authorities said. (FOX35 Orlando WOFL )

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Critics, including Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, have argued that the insanity defense and conditional release system allowed a violent offender to return to the community unchecked. He has called for narrowing the insanity defense, saying it has become a loophole that puts the public at risk.

"Across the country, we see violent criminals getting to walk free, back into society, because of insanity defenses," Uthmeier told Fox News Digital. "We won’t tolerate leftist prosecutors releasing murderers and violent criminals to hurt our families."

Fox News Digital has reached out to Worrell's office for comment.

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Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a U.S. Writer at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X @s_rumpfwhitten

Leftist prosecutor cites affordability in release of alleged tourist killer near Disney: 'Inability to pay'