Attorney Bill Speek questions investigator Christopher Blackwell
A witness to the murder of Cornelius Douglas at 1419 Carousel Road on April 25 gave different testimony on Tuesday than he had told a detective.
Despite that fact, the case of Jermichael Tillery was bound over to the grand jury on a murder charge.
Witness Michael Walker, appearing before General Sessions Court Judge Gary Starnes, said he saw the first shot, but didn’t start running till the fifth or sixth shot.
“That’s when the other dude lifted up his gun and started emptying his weapon,” Walker said.
The witness said the first shot was fired by Tillery. He told Judge Starnes that Douglas “grabbed the gun and started tussling” over it with Tillery. He said Tillery shot the victim two or three times on his right side, and another man, Tillery’s friend, shot the victim five or six times.
Investigator Christopher Blackwell of the Chattanooga Police Department said he interviewed the suspect, as well as witness Walker.
He told defense attorney Bill Speek that Walker never told him there was a second shooter.
“He said that Mr. Tillery had a friend, but did not include him in the incident at all,” said Investigator Blackwell.
The officer said during the interview Walker told him that Douglas fired rounds at the suspect after the suspect fired the first shot. He agreed with the defense that in today’s testimony Walker indicated Douglas never had a gun.
Attorney Speek said Walker was lying one way or another.
Investigator Blackwell also said when he arrived at the scene of the crime there was a blood trail leading to another residence. At the end of it was Tillery, Investigator Blackwell said.
“Mr. Tillery advised that he was never at the crime scene,” he said. “Said he knew nothing of the homicide of Cornelius Douglas.”
Investigator Blackwell said he had no reason to believe the suspect was involved in a gang, but he did not know the gang status of Douglas or Walker.
Both defense and prosecution agreed there was probable cause for the case to go forward, though attorney Speek did mention there were “obviously some inherent self-defense issues.”
Judge Starnes bound the case over to the Grand Jury.