ST. MARY PARISH, La. (KLFY) — “Rage and anger.”
That’s what 15-year-old Quawan “Bobby” Charles’ family members say they’re feeling now that the woman arrested for her involvement in Quawan’s death is out of jail.
Janet Irvin was released last week after a judge reduced her bond from $400K to only $90K.
“Our family is outraged. Quawan is dead. He was murdered,” Quawan’s first cousin Celina Charles said.
Charles says Quawan’s mom, Roxanne, and the rest of their family is furious the lowered bond allowed Janet Irvin to bail out of jail.
“The first words that came out of Roxanne’s mouth when we came out the coroner’s office was, ‘They beat my baby. They beat my baby,'” Charles said.
“My aunt is not okay with Janet being out of jail. My aunt is not okay with Janet even having a bond.”
She says it’s frustrating and heartbreaking to know Janet Irvin is now back at home while her baby cousin will never come home again.
“I understand she has rights, but Quawan had rights too. He had a right to his life, and they took that from him. They took it from us,” Charles said.
Irvin was arrested two months ago for failing to report Quawan missing and allegedly supplying him with drugs.
The coroner’s report labeled Quawan’s death as an accidental drowning, but Celine Charles says she and her family don’t believe that’s what happened.
“I don’t think it was an accident. I believe that they beat him, and they mutilated him. I believe that they tortured him. We all believe that. The world believes that,” she said.
Charles says she doesn’t buy the theory that Quawan accidentally drowned in a sugarcane ditch with only a few inches of water.
She says her entire family feels that Janet Irvin, her son, and her boyfriend are lying about really happened to Quawan.
“I believe they all played a hand in Quawan’s murder,” Charles added.
She says her family hopes the truth will come out and want to see Janet Irvin and her family charged with murder.
“She has her day coming. She has her day coming, all of them. We won’t stop fighting, and we will get justice,” she said. “And the murderers that murdered Quawan… you will not get away. You will not get away.”
The judge who reduced Janet Irvin’s bond also set restrictions for her release.
She is now living in Youngsville with her boyfriend.
She can only leave the home for work, court, or medical purposes, and she must wear an ankle monitor at all times.