Prosecutor Asks Jury To Find Christopher Parker Guilty Of First-Degree Murder

  • Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Christopher Levi Parker
Christopher Levi Parker

Prosecutor Lance Pope on Tuesday asked a Criminal Court jury to find Christopher Levi Parker guilty of first-degree murder, saying he had shot 24-year-old Robert "Robbie" McClure in the head.

Attorney Andrew Basler emphasized that Parker was hepped up on drugs and said there was no evidence of premeditation.

Prosecutor Pope said the night before the shooting, Jan. 31, 2014, that Parker had stolen the gun used in the killing from a man who had driven from Nebraska to see a female acquaintance. He said Parker also took a cell phone and laptop computer from Dale Craighead's room at the Downtowner Motor Inn.

Mr. Craighead told of getting a room and inviting Jessica Ridley over. He said Parker also showed up along with several people he did not know. He said when he awoke he found that he was alone and his items were gone.

Mr. Craighead said the gun that was stolen was a Springfield 9mm semi-automatic handgun - the same type weapon the prosecutor said was used in the killing at a trailer on Hixson Avenue off Norcross Road. A 9mm shell casing was found on the floor and a 9mm bullet was found lodged in the victim's brain. Police did not find the murder weapon.

Ms. Ridley said meth was used in the Downtowner room, though she said Mr. Craighead did not partake. She said Parker was hepped up on drugs and his drug use was getting worse.

She said Parker dropped her off at an apartment after taking the items from the room, and she was not present for the shooting.

Prosecutor Pope said the site of the shooting is "not a place where you want to hang out." He said there were several run-down trailers where drugs were consumed.

He said on Feb. 1 that Parker was with Andrew Biro and another young man at the trailers. He said Parker had a beef with McClure and was upset that he heard McClure had been talking badly about him. The trio walked up a hill to the McClure trailer and found him "in a good mood."

He said Parker began confronting McClure before putting the gun to his forehead and pulling the trigger. The trio then walked back down the hill, and he said Parker told the other two he would kill them if they told on him.

The prosecutor said Biro became scared and called his mother, Susan Biro, to pick him up. The jury heard a 911 call from Ms. Biro, telling the dispatcher that a man had been killed at a Hixson trailer. Her son could be heard sobbing throughout the call.

Police and emergency personnel had trouble finding the trailer and the victim was dead by the time they arrived.

Parker's record includes burglary, felony meth, driving charges and failure to come to court, it was stated.

In General Sessions Court, Judge Lila Statom had set an $800,000 bond for Parker, calling it "a cold-blooded killing."

A jury in the courtroom of Judge Barry Steelman is hearing the case.

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