A man told a Criminal Court jury on Tuesday that he watched his baby brother being murdered at his apartment on Vance Avenue on Labor Day 2018.
Iesha Jones, 25, is charged with premeditated first-degree murder, felony murder, especially aggravated robbery and attempted first-degree murder.
Her co-defendant, 28-year-old Domanic Gillespie, is set to be back in court next month. He was described variously as her boyfriend, husband and baby's daddy.
Prosecutors said Norman Sullivan, 52, was shot twice. They said he was dead at the scene from a shot to the head.
Wayne Sullivan, who lived in an apartment building at 2108 Vance, said his younger brother often stopped by. He said the brother was there that Labor Day along with William "Pops" Wallace, who was living there, and two females.
He said Ms. Jones called to say that she was coming over. Wayne Sullivan said he had told his brother to break it off with her earlier, saying he felt she was trouble. He said Ms. Jones would make brief visits with Norman, trading sexual favors for drugs. He stated, "I begged him to leave that girl alone. But my brother was hard-headed."
Wayne said he was outside getting a certified letter when Ms. Jones and Gillespie showed up. He said Norman and Gillespie were arguing in the bathroom, then they went into a bedroom and closed the door. He said Ms. Jones tried to go in the room as well, but he stopped her.
He said he began to hear loud arguing and then scuffling. He said he looked inside and saw Norman had pinned Gillespie against a wall and Gillespie was going down toward him with a gun. Then the pair knocked the door off the hinges as the brawl spilled out of the bedroom.
The witness said the gun had jammed, and Ms. Jones picked it up. He said she pointed it at him and pulled the trigger, but it still would not fire. Afterward, he said a shell was ejected from the gun.
Wayne said he next saw Gillespie pull the trigger with the gun next to his brother's head. It went off this time. He said the pair then left.
Police found the victim's body sprawled just inside the front door.
Wayne said on cross-examination by attorney Hannah Stokes that drugs were often in use in the apartment. He said Norman supplied him with crack cocaine.
Attorney Stokes said it was a confusing case with witnesses telling different stories.
Prosecutor AnCharlene Davis said the pair had gone to the apartment to get drugs and money and were determined to do so. She said they turned to violence after Norman turned down sexual favors and gift cards.
Wayne testified several times, "They came there to kill my brother. They were very determined to get the job done." He said his brother was unarmed.
He said he is still racked by the incident and has moved to Ohio. He said, "It plays in my head and in my dreams."