State Attorney Monique Worrell says 29-year-old Ahmad Jihad Bojeh was released after mental health evaluators determined he was no longer dangerous and state law barred involuntary commitment. Officials say Bojeh later stopped outpatient treatment because he could not afford care and is now charged with three counts of first-degree murder after allegedly shooting three tourists near Walt Disney World. The case has prompted calls to review insanity-defense rules and conditional release procedures.
Prosecutor Says Cost Of Care Contributed To Release Of Man Accused Of Killing Three Tourists Near Disney
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.(Fox News)
State Attorney Monique Worrell is defending the legal release of 29-year-old Ahmad Jihad Bojeh, who was previously found not guilty by reason of insanity and later discharged after mental health evaluators concluded he was no longer a danger to himself or others. Shortly after his discharge, Bojeh is accused of stalking and fatally shooting three visiting tourists near Walt Disney World.
What Officials Say
Worrell said Bojeh was released under Florida law because evaluators determined involuntary commitment was no longer warranted and neither prosecutors nor judges had the authority to keep him confined.
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.
"The individual went through the legal process. Once he was deemed no longer dangerous, the statute prohibited involuntary commitment," Worrell said.
Worrell added that Bojeh had been ordered to continue outpatient mental health treatment but later stopped complying when he could not afford care. "My understanding is that he was no longer in compliance because of inability to pay," she told reporters.
The Alleged Crime
Authorities allege Bojeh watched three men from a neighboring home as they waited outside a vacation rental for roadside assistance. He then approached and opened fire, killing all three without provocation.
Ahmad Jihad Bojeh, 29, was booked into the Osceola County Jail on three counts of premeditated murder.
The victims were identified as brothers Robert Luis Kraft, 70, of Holland, Michigan; Douglas Joseph Kraft, 68, of Columbus, Ohio; and their friend James John Puchan, 69, also of Columbus. The men were visiting Central Florida to attend a collector car auction and had extended their stay after experiencing rental car trouble.
Bojeh, who lived next door to the rental property, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and is being held without bond while investigators and local authorities continue their work.
Bojeh lived at a home next door to the rental where the victims were murdered, authorities said.
Background And Reaction
The killings renewed scrutiny of Bojeh’s prior violent history. In 2021 he was charged with attempted first-degree murder after authorities say he fired a gun at a person and shot randomly at vehicles at a gas station. In that case he was found not guilty by reason of insanity and later released under conditional supervision.
Critics—including Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier—argue the insanity defense and conditional-release system allowed a dangerous offender to return to the community unchecked and have called for narrowing the defense and tightening supervision for people released under such rulings. Uthmeier told Fox News Digital that he has seen "violent criminals getting to walk free, back into society, because of insanity defenses," and urged change.
Worrell’s office says the release followed the required legal process and was constrained by state statutes and the findings of mental health evaluators. Fox News Digital has reached out to Worrell’s office for further comment.
Bojeh remains detained on three first-degree murder charges as authorities continue their investigation into the fatal shootings near the Disney area.
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