All four identified as suspects in the Oct. 16 Frank’s Drive-In fatal shooting waived their right to a preliminary hearing Monday in Meridian Municipal Court. 

Meundre Donshay Sanders, Dystiny D. Davis, Christopher Dewayne Sanders and Edward Earl Sanders all met with public defenders on Monday and decided to waive their hearing and accept their bond amounts.

The relationship between the three Sanders, all of Meridian, is unclear but they are family, as discussed in the courtroom Monday.

Police initially charged Davis, 25, and Meundre Sanders, 21, in the shooting death of Robert Trout, the owner of Frank’s Drive-In, and the shooting of three other victims during an apparent armed robbery. Texas police from the Killeen Police Department arrested them on Nov. 21 at a residence in Killeen, Texas that Meundre Sanders listed as a second address to Municipal Judge Robbie Jones.

Davis and Meundre Sanders face a capital murder charge, three attempted murder charges and an armed robbery charge.

Law enforcement arrested Christopher Sanders and Edward Sanders on Dec. 1.

Christopher Sanders, 27, faces charges for capital murder, three counts of attempted murder, armed robbery and two counts of possession of a weapon as a felon.

Edward Sanders, 28, faces five counts of accessory after the fact for capital murder, three counts of attempted murder and armed robbery.

Meridian Police Sgt. Dareall Thompson said it appeared that Meundre Sanders and Davis entered Frank’s Drive-In, on Fifth Street, but that Christopher Sanders participated in some way.

Attorney Jim William represented Edward Sanders, attorney Pat Jordan represented Davis and attorney Mark Chandlee represented Christopher Sanders as well as Meundre Sanders. 

Only Edward Sanders has a bond, set at $100,000, since those charged with capital murder have no bond. 

After the preliminary hearing, Davis requested a new detective on the case. Jones said he couldn’t grant that.

Jones, after the suspects left the courtroom, said the city administration and Mayor Percy Bland had asked him to address the public about a “concentrated effort to crack down on… all offenders who commit crimes using deadly weapons.”

Jones said that the court would ensure that this crackdown wouldn’t infringe on the rights of the defendants. 

“We intend to utilize the system to its fullest extent,” Jones said. “Mayor (Percy Bland) insisted that all law enforcement, administration and judiciary… implement as soon as possible.”

Jones said that, for him and Municipal Judge Bob Bresnahan, this meant getting defendants into the judicial system sooner and setting bonds to higher amounts.

The connection, Jones said, between this action and the Frank’s Drive-In case is that “it is a prime example of a needless death.” However, Jones said it had been in the works previously. 

Meridian Police Chief Benny Dubose said that a press conference over a year ago had announced this initiative regarding the city’s intolerance of the use of firearms in crimes. 

Dubose said that some cases, such as misdemeanors, would remain in Municipal Court and be handled by the city. Felony cases go to a trial before the Lauderdale County Circuit Court. 

“A majority of these offenses are felonies that are not handled in Municipal Court,” Dubose said. 

Dubose said a high bond could deter suspects from being released until a conviction, but ultimately other agencies, such as the District Attorney’s office, can change that.