Detective Jayevan Montgomery testifies
A detective testified Tuesday that Willie Witcher did not summon help after his girlfriend was shot "because he didn't want to lose her."
Detective Jayevan Montgomery said the 56-year-old Witcher said he "didn't want us to take her away."
It appeared that 35-year-old Nicole Dupree had been dead about 12 hours by the time authorities knew about it.
The detective said Witcher said he changed Ms. Dupree's clothes and lay near her until she died in the living room of the house they shared at 1912 Citico Ave.
Witcher said Ms. Dupree came in at 3:30 a.m. on May 26 after playing bingo and wanted to pawn his .38 caliber handgun to get money for drugs. He said they struggled over the gun and it went off with the bullet striking her.
Detective Montgomery said Ms. Dupree's body was on a blanket in the living room, but it appeared she had been shot, while he crouched down near the bedroom door. He said that was based on blood splattered on the wall.
He said the bullet entered above her left breast and went out near the kidney area.
The witness said Witcher had tossed the bloody clothes in a trash can and put her in a black and white dress. But he said he had not gotten the dress on correctly and her left breast was hanging out near where she had been shot. He said Witcher had used 409 cleaner to mop up the blood in the house.
Chris Bell, brother-in-law of Witcher, said he stopped by Witcher's house and noted he looked really sad. He said Witcher told him that "he and the girl got into it" and he had killed her.
He said he left and immediately called his wife, Serena.
Serena Bell said she and another sister drove to the house and got the same story. She said the other sister then called their mother, and she summoned police.
General Sessions Court Judge David Norton bound the murder case to the grand jury.
Serena Bell, sister of Willie Witcher, testifies