Matthews Claims He Was "Coerced" By Government
posted September 3, 2008
One of the star witnesses in the Rejon Taylor death penalty murder case on Wednesday morning shocked prosecutors by telling a completely different story than he had before.
Sir Jack Matthews, who earlier pleaded guilty in the murder of Atlanta restaurant operator Guy Luck, also said prosecutors had coerced him and brought him into the courtroom and rehearsed his testimony.
Matthews, who earlier said he, Taylor and Joey Marshall carjacked Mr. Luck from his Buckhead home, this time said they were working with Mr. Luck on a marijuana delivery to Collegedale, where he was killed.
He claimed they went to the Luck house and carried out a large package of marijuana.
Matthews claimed that Taylor and Guy Luck left in Mr. Luck's van and that he and Marshall went in Taylor's burgundy Impala. He said he got in the van after they stopped for gas along I-75.
He said he was in the back and Mr. Luck was in the passenger seat. Matthews initially told detectives that he and Mr. Luck were in the back seat together.
He told the jury they stopped at a big house in Collegedale and dropped off the package.
He claimed that a short time later he began talking about items he claims they once found during a burglary of the Luck home. He said he referred to some pictures of some nude Oriental children.
He said that "enraged" Mr. Luck, who said, "You were the ones who burglarized me."
He said Mr. Luck then lunged toward him, and he said he drew his gun and shot at the restaurant operator, with the shot striking him in the arm.
Matthews said Taylor, who was driving, turned around and fired shots, one of which hit him.
Matthews claimed that Mr. Luck had a gun with him and that Taylor wound up with it and later threw it away by the freeway.
Matthews said Marshall later told him that he and Taylor had had homosexual relations with Guy Luck. He said when Marshall told him that "I was blown away."
Prosecutors played for the jury a video of where Matthews had given his earlier version of the Aug. 6, 2003, incident in which there was no mention of a marijuana delivery or of homosexual sex.
In opening his testimony, Matthews told prosecutor Steve Neff, "Ya'll exactly told me certain things to say. Ya'll told me certain things to say to whip it up and make it look worse that what it is."
He also said he was telling the "truth" because he said he "wouldn't be able to live with myself if I sat up here and caused this man to die."
Prosecutor Neff asked Judge Curtis Collier to declare Matthews a "hostile witness," saying, "He has clearly indicated that he is not going to testify truthfully."
Matthews faces sentencing in October, and prosecutors now are certain not to recommend that he receive a "downward departure."
Matthews said when he entered his guilty plea and received a life prison sentence, "my mind was not clear. It clouded my judgment."
He said his attorney (Jerry Summers) "said my only way out if I ever wanted to see the streets again was to plead guilty. The only time he came to see me was about pleaing out. He didn't listen to see if I had any defense."
Judge Collier would also have to decide whether to accept his guilty plea - in light of the dramatic change of his story. That decision had been reserved until sentencing.
Prosecutor Chris Poole said Taylor and Matthews are being housed in the same cellblock at the Hamilton County Jail.
He said among Matthews' belongings on Wednesday morning were found an envelope from one of Taylors' attorneys to him (Taylor). The prosecutor said he did not look to see what was inside, but he said it showed that Taylor and Matthews had been having contact.
The jury also heard from a former TBI fingerprint expert who said a partial palm print found in a blood smear on the van matched that of Taylor.
Darrin Shockey said, "The print found on the back of the inside of the van matched that of Rejon Taylor without a shadow of a doubt. I will stake my reputation on that. I will stake my life on that."
Questioned by defense attorney Bill Ortwein about some instances of mistaken fingerprint identifications, he said that had not happened in the 35 years the TBI has had a fingerprint lab.
| Dining Out | Business | Movies | Focus | About Us |
| Church | Living Well | Memories | Outdoors | Real Estate | Student Scene | Travel |