Jewell beating suspect freed on bond

By Rhonda Cook

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

After posting a $10,000 bond, Frederick Richardson was freed from jail Tuesday to await the outcome of charges that he beat to death the former fiancé of a cast member of the reality show, the Real Housewives of Atlanta.

Richardson walked out of the Fulton County Jail around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to his attorney Dennis Scheib. Richardson was then at the Fulton County Courthouse four hours later for a bond hearing, which was cancelled because he was already free.

Only if he is indicted for killing Ashley "A.J." Jewell would Richardson return to court, the judge said.

Jewell -- the former fiance of Kandi Burruss of the Real Housewives of Atlanta  -- died Oct. 2 a few hours after fistfight with Richardson in the parking lot of a strip club, the Body Tap.

Police initially said Jewell died of a head injury but preliminary autopsy results suggest Jewell’s death may have been related to sickle cell anemia. The Fulton County medical examiner is waiting for test results before determining a cause of death.

According to defense attorney Dennis Scheib, Jewell threatened Richardson with a gun while the two men were in an office at the Body Tap.

After they reached the parking lot, Scheib said, Jewell threw the first .

The fight was brief.

Richardson drove himself to a hospital to be treated for a broken finger, and Jewell was taken to Piedmont Hospital, where he died later that evening.

Scheib complained after court that Richardson should not have been charged and jailed until the police finished its investigation, which depends on the autopsy results.

“He cooperated with the police and they chose to put him in jail … after they knew the man had a medical condition,” Scheib said.