Ridgeland teen charged with manslaughter after ‘road rage’ incident

RANKIN CO., Miss. (WLBT) - Eighteen-year-old Cortland Miekel Phlegm was charged Tuesday with manslaughter after allegedly shooting and killing 40-year-old William Nicholas Cardin during a road rage incident on Highway 25 last week.

According to Rankin County Sheriff’s Office Spokesperson Paul Holley, Phlegm was denied bond the day after the incident.

Phlegm’s court hearing was Tuesday morning where the judge denied the state’s request to deny bond. The judge said Cardin had a gun in his car during the incident, however, he did not fire a shot.

According to Phlegm’s lawyer, Cardin was the aggressor in the shooting.

Phlegm has been charged with manslaughter, with a bond set for $500,000 after previously being charged with 1st-degree murder before the ruling on Tuesday.

Phlegm will also go under mental evaluation, wear an ankle monitor, and more if he is bailed out.

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