Man accused of killing Houston woman in Dallas over "touching a Mercedes" released on bond
The suspect in the fatal shooting of a Houston-area real estate agent in downtown Dallas last month has been released from the Dallas County Jail, according to jail records.
Kendrick Finch, 34, was released on Tuesday, May 13, after posting a $500,000 bond. His release came just days after a judge denied a motion from his defense team to reduce the bond amount.
Finch is accused of fatally shooting 28-year-old Ashlee Long as she and a group of friends were leaving a downtown Dallas bar shortly after 2 a.m. on April 5. Long, who was visiting the city on a networking trip, was struck during the incident, which was captured on surveillance video near Main Street, police said.
According to an arrest affidavit cited by CBS News Texas, the confrontation began when William Kistler, a man accompanying Long, brushed his hand along the side of a passing Mercedes. Finch, a passenger in the vehicle, allegedly exited with a firearm.
Surveillance footage played in court showed Kistler retrieving a gun from Long's purse, at which point Finch opened fire. Both Kistler and Long were shot; Kistler survived, but Long later died at the hospital.
Finch's attorney, Josh Healy, has argued that his client acted in self-defense.
Long's family described her as a driven and successful real estate agent with a bright future.
In an interview with CBS News Texas, her mother, Michelle Long, said, "I feel dead inside. She was my everything. A night out on the town and just being in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Finch's trial is scheduled to begin in early 2026.
