NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) -- Sixteen months after the death of Alex Delgado, the teen’s family held out hope for justice at a preliminary hearing scheduled for Tuesday. Instead, more than a dozen relatives gathered around his gravesite after the hearing was pushed back by several months.
On Tuesday, May 7, Alex’s family planned to be in court for the preliminary hearing of his accused killer, 39-year-old Henry C. Fletcher. That hearing has been pushed back to July due to attorney scheduling conflicts.
Fletcher is now out of jail after serving just three days back in November. Although he didn’t wish to go on camera, he said he looked forward to his day in court and looked at his charges from more of a self-defense lens.
Although Alex’s family was upset not to see Fletcher in court Tuesday, Fletcher will be there Wednesday, May 8, making a motion to remove his ankle monitor.
Alex's brother, Alejandro Armas, translated for their mom, Julie Alvardo Delgado, as she talked about her frustrations with the case.
“It's just been held back, but she still has her faith in God that justice will be served,” Armas said on behalf of Julie.
Fletcher was arrested in November and charged with criminal homicide. He was booked on a $150,000 bond and was released three days later after posting bond.
"She’s saying, she said that as an adult he should have been charged more. He knows what he did; he did it to a child and the bond should be raised way higher,” Armas said on behalf of Julie.
Fletcher’s arrest came 10 months after Alex was found shot and killed in his car that had crashed into a South Nashville IHOP. According to police, a car believed to have been driven by Fletcher struck Alex’s car at a Nolensville Pike gas station. Alex then followed the car and appeared to shoot at it, then drove away, according to investigators. They said Fletcher then began following Alex and fired shots. Police found Alex shot in the head.
Alex’s brother told News 2 that the family wishes Fletcher would have called 911 and let police handle the situation. Although they don’t condone violence, they also feel that Alex didn’t deserve to die.
“We don't advocate violence; we don't encourage it,” Armas said. “But the fact that the person came back looking for vengeance because of what he did is even worse.”
