A former college basketball star who was charged with the murder of his four-year-old son after the boy’s corpse was found in the family freezer was granted bail Wednesday after having spent six months in a Virginia jail.
Kassceen Weaver, 49, will be released from Riverside Regional Jail on a $50,000 secured bond once a GPS monitoring system is installed in his Richmond home.
He is not allowed to have any contact with his wife, Dina Weaver – whom the prosecution claims he abused – or his 10-year-old son, WTVR reported.
Weaver is charged with felony murder and felony child abuse/neglect in connection to the death of his son, Eliel Aldon Weaver, last October.
The four-year-old’s body – which had been left in a plastic bag in a freezer for two-and-a-half years – was found in May after his concerned uncle asked police to conduct a welfare check.
The boy’s mother, Dina, also 49, was charged with conspiracy to conceal a body and failing to render aid to a child. She has been out on bond since May.
Despite opposition from the prosecution, a Chesterfield judge granted the former Weaver bond on Wednesday, claiming the accused killer was not a flight risk and must be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The father was once a promising basketball star, and in the 1990s was a key member of the University of Richmond team before he went on to play professionally in the Netherlands. He later returned to the United States where he started working in finance, and more recently, as a recruiting manager with Robert Half Finance and Accounting, according to the Daily Beast.
Kassceen Weaver, who was charged with the murder of his four-year-old son after the boy’s corpse was found in the family freezer, was granted bail Wednesday after having spent six months in a Virginia jail
DeWeaver is charged with felony murder and felony child abuse/neglect in connection to the death of his son, Eliel Aldon Weaver
When advocating for his release, attorney Doug Ramseur argued that Weaver – who was out on bond between May and October 2021 – was proven to be a good candidate for bail after having previously followed his bond guidelines.
He also cited how Weaver would not be a threat to Dina because he bond requires her to live out of state.
The defense also cited personal reasons for the suspected killer’s release. The attorneys argued Weaver, who walked into the courtroom on clutches Wednesday, was unable to receive proper care for his ankle injury while in the jail.
Additionally, they argued he was struggling to maintain his rental properties in Richmond and Henrico.
Family law attorney Alexandra Bowen argued that one of the property’s was close to foreclosure because she was unable to access Weaver’s finances due to a password problem. Bowen alleged the problem could be easily resolved if he weren’t in jail.
The four-year-old’s body – which had been left in a plastic bag in a freezer for two-and-a-half years – was found in May after his concerned uncle asked police to conduct a welfare check
Cops found the body of the boy in the freezer after receiving a tip
The freezer in which the body of the boy was reportedly found is loaded onto a trailer at the home
The defense also noted that Weaver is currently participating in a civil case over custody of his son, who remains in foster care.
The state, however, argued Weaver should not be released on bond due to the severity of the alleged crime.
The prosecution a forensic anthropologist determined Eliel, whose cause of death was blunt force trauma, had sustained multiple injuries – a skull fracture and multiple rib fractures – over a period of time.
They also showed images of burns on Dina’s body, arguing Weaver regular abused her.
Despite these claims, the judge – noting the facts in the case are ‘horrific’ – allowed for is release.
Weaver is scheduled to appear in court on February 24 for another pre-trial hearing.
Weaver is not permitted to contact his wife, Dina Weaver, while out on bond. She also faces charges in connection to Eilel’s death. She was charged with conspiracy to conceal a body and failing to render aid to a child. Dina has been out on bond since May
Cops found Eliel when they obtained a warrant and searched the family’s home on Lookout Point Circle in the Richmond suburb of Chesterfield on May 4.
Deep in one of the freezers, they discovered the child’s remains tied up in twine, wrapped in adult clothing and a sheet then stored inside a bag. That bag was placed in a plastic container, prosecutors said, and the smell of human remains emanating from it led police to call the Medical Examiner’s Office.
Charges were filed after an autopsy report from the county’s chief medical examiner confirmed Eliel’s identity.
Dina had previously claimed that she suffered a history of physical and mental abuse, according to court records. She also allegedly feared for her safety and that of her brother.
Her brother, who was has not been publicly named, had also told cops he was worried Dina was a victim of domestic violence.
In the complaint, Dina’s brother detailed Weaver’s ‘manipulative’ behavior such as preventing her from owning a car or cell phone. Weaver also allegedly did not want Dina talking to her family.
The brother claimed Dina would talk to him using her work phone and that she allegedly told him on such a phone call on May 3 that Eliel had died two years prior.
She allegedly accused Weaver of wrapping little Eliel’s body up to place it in the freezer. She claimed she did not call police when the boy died because of bruising on his body.
Dina, who was pictured in her mugshot with a black eye, claimed her injuries were caused by a ‘scuffle’ with Weaver, according to court documents. She also detailed a time in which her husband allegedly tied her up with an electrical cord and burned her with a curling iron.
