MOULTRIE, Ga. — A Georgia man accused of shooting five acquaintances and setting their house on fire in an apparent attempt to cover up the crime was granted a $1 million bond on Thursday.

Superior Court Judge James G. Tunison Jr. set the bond amount in the case of Jeffrey Alan Peacock after hearing arguments from prosecutors and the public defender representing Peacock.

Public Defender Jon McClure asked for a lesser amount for Peacock’s release — $250,000 — while Assistant District Attorney Ken Still requested a bond of $5 million.

Should Peacock be released on bond, Tunison set special conditions that he wear an ankle monitor to allow law enforcement to keep tabs on his location.

McClure told the court that Peacock could not afford even the $250,000 figure.

Georgia law requires judges to set a “reasonable” bond if 90 days pass without prosecutors indicting a defendant. Reasonable does not mean a bond that the accused can afford, but reasonable based on the details of the crime, prior criminal history, the likelihood the defendant could flee to avoid trial and other considerations.

Prosecutors expect a final case report from investigators this month, and could take the case to a Colquitt County, Georgia Grand Jury in December.

Peacock is accused of the May 15 shooting deaths at of Jonathan Garrett Edwards, Ramsey Jones Pidcock and Aaron Reid Williams, all 21; 20-year-old Alicia Brooke Norman; and Jordan Shane Croft, 22.

The Georgia Bureau announced around the time of Peacock’s arrest that they believe the then-24-year-old shot all five inside their home, then “set fire to the house in an attempt to conceal the crimes.”

Peacock has been charged with five counts of felony murder and one count of arson. Felony murder is a murder committed while in the act of committing another felony.

Prosecutors likely will seek additional charges when they bring the case before grand jurors.

Peacock was one of three people to call in a report of the fire, about a minute after the first, unknown caller, notified authorities of the blaze.

According to Colquitt County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office reports, Peacock told the first sheriff’s deputy to arrive at the scene that he had been at the house with his friends and left to get breakfast for everyone. At the time, he said that he was gone about an hour and when he returned the house was burning.

Investigators quickly treated the case as a quintuple murder after autopsy reports showed they died of bullet wounds and not smoke inhalation or burning. Investigators were suspicious from the outset at having five young, healthy adults die in a fire without anyone escaping.

Investigators spent days sifting through ashes at the gutted house that sat about 220 feet off the roadway. The house, which sat in a clearing surrounded by a pecan grove, has since been torn down.

A cross with a plaque on top listing the victims’ names was placed near a tree where mourners had placed memorial items including stuffed animals and ribbons.

Mauldin writes for the Moultrie, Georgia Observer.