ATLANTA — An influential name in Atlanta’s hip-hop industry is speaking out about his son’s arrest in hopes of guiding the youth.
Roderick Roland, who goes by Roger Bonds, posted his tearful pleas on Instagram. It grabbed the attention of many people who were unaware of his family situation.
“As a father what I’m going through is being without a son,” he said.
Bonds worked more than 15 years with hip-hop mogul Diddy for more than a decade in New York and in Atlanta. Now he’s putting his career on hold to focus on his son’s freedom.
Kevin Townsend is currently locked up in Namibia, just north of South Africa. His son travelled there with a friend. And in 2011, both men were arrested and accused of murder
Bonds said his son is still waiting for a trial.
“Let’s just get him in a courtroom. Let’s just see what’s going on,” Bonds said.
He’s wondering why his son is still waiting for a trial since 2011.
“I feel he’s not being given his day in court. I don’t feel he can get a fair trial,” Bonds said.
Reports in Namibia indicate the co-defendant had crossed paths with the victim in the U.S. Bonds is hoping to get the case separated where his son will be tried separately.
“I feel like I’ve let my son down as a father seeing what I was doing and what I was into,” he said.
He wishes he set a better example for his son. Bonds admits that he had a difficult road to manhood at the earlier stages of his son’s life.
“When I came home from being incarcerated, my mind and my thought was I’m never coming back here again. And I never did,” he explained.
He said he’s been told the years without a trial is because the defendants are not satisfied with their attorneys.Roger Bonds plans to travel to Africa soon to explore more legal options to get his son a fair trial.
“One of the biggest things that I really want people to get out of this, is the pain that I’m going through. And if you care about your parents, don’t put them through this pain,” he said.
Bonds said its also painful to see the victim’s family wait almost nine years as well for the case to wrap up.
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