One of the men accused of beating Southern University student Caleb Wilson to death during an alleged fraternity hazing ritual will be allowed to leave Louisiana while he’s out on bond.

Caleb McCray, 23, was granted that privilege when he appeared for a bond review hearing inside the 19th Judicial District Courthouse on Thursday. McCray was the first of three suspects arrested in connection to Wilson’s Feb. 27 death. He was booked into the parish prison March 6 on counts of manslaughter and criminal hazing and released from jail on $100,000 bond six days later, 19th JDC records show.

McCray’s defense attorney, Phillip Robinson, filed a motion asking the court to let him leave Louisiana to live in North Texas with his parents while he awaits trial.

“Due to the high publicity surrounding this case in Louisiana, the defendant has experienced significant challenges maintaining his privacy and emotional well-being,” Robinson wrote in the request to modify McCray’s bond conditions. “His parents in North Texas will provide crucial family support and supervision throughout the pre-trial period.”

Prosecutors objected to the request during Thursday’s hearing in 19th JDC Commissioner Kina Kimble’s courtroom, but Robinson argued that remaining in Louisiana during the long pre-trial process puts McCray’s safety at risk. Kimble granted the defendant’s motion, but ordered him to get a tracking device on his phone and to sign up with a bond monitoring company. The commissioner stopped short of ordering McCray to get a GPS monitor because he’s not working and is unable to pay the monthly ankle monitoring fees, she noted.

Officials said the case remains in the very early stages and the DA’s office is still in the midst of a very thorough investigation involving a number of other agencies.

Assistant District Attorney Morgan Johnson said prosecutors hope to bring the case before a grand jury by the fall. Kimble prohibited McCray from owning or possessing a firearm while he’s out on bail and ordered him to refrain from communicating with his two co-defendants. Kyle Thurman, 25, and Isaiah Smith, 29, both were arrested on accusations of criminal hazing. Court records show they’re also out of jail on bond. Smith is next scheduled to appear in court Monday for a bond review.

Commissioner Kimble’s decision came after she had a lengthy sidebar discussion with Robinson and Morgan. She said she was trying to find a “reasonable middle ground,” noting it will likely take months before the case reaches the grand jury.

“If you violate in any way, there is no more added conditions to the bond. It is going to be an automatic hold,” she warned McCray after she granted him permission to leave the state. “That is my promise.”

According to police, the alleged hazing took place at a warehouse in the 3400 block of Woodcrest Drive, just off Greenwell Springs Road. Wilson and eight other Omega Psi Phi pledges lined up in order of height for a fraternity ritual. During the ritual, McCray and company took turns punching the pledges in the chest four times with a pair of black boxing gloves, police reports indicate. Wilson, a 20-year-old Kenner native, collapsed after he was punched and experienced a medical episode. Yet instead of calling 911, fraternity members waited to take Wilson to a hospital and initially told authorities the 20-year-old collapsed at a local park.

Wilson, a former trumpet player for Southern University’s famed Human Jukebox marching band, was honored in the Legislature earlier this month during a ceremony in the House of Representatives chambers. State lawmakers also proposed an anti-hazing house bill in Wilson’s name.

Outside the courthouse after Thursday’s hearing, Robinson called the commissioner’s decision fair. He noted McCray has never been in trouble with the law before and poses no flight risk, but acknowledged the court’s need to ensure he shows up for court dates.

“Understanding the scrutiny and high-profile nature of this case, we don’t feel Baton Rouge is the safest place for him to be,” the attorney said. “Between the influence of Southern (University), the band, and just the public opinion about the case at large, we feel it’s safer for him to be with family out of state.

“With the initial outrage and backlash from the case, there were threats made,” he added when asked by reporters about the safety concerns. “I don’t know how credible those threats were, but out of an abundance of caution, I think it’s best for my client just not to be out in this city. This is not the safest place for him to be. You’re going to run into someone who’s seen this case somewhere. I think it, overall, helps with the investigation and his mental health, just being around family in another location.”