A judge ruled Monday that the state can use a threatening jail note in the capital murder case against Andre Grier.
Criminal Court Judge Boyd Patterson said the note was not directly related to the murder of state witness Bianca Horton, but showed a pattern of attempts to suppress witnesses who dared to testify against the Athens Park Bloods gang.
A jury will be selected in Anderson County in September and the trial will be conducted in Chattanooga in October.
Gang expert Jeremy Winbush said he was notified by a jail guard that a note was passed to Johnny Clemmons as he was headed to court to testify against another gang member, Courtney High.
The note warned Clemmons, "Don't cross the mob."
The detective said he was advised that Clemmons "became very nervous" after getting the note, but he went on and testified against High in the case in which he was charged with killing Jerrica Jackson.
High, who also faced a possible death penalty, earlier pleaded guilty to three murders, including the Jackson case.
Charles Shelton was another APB member charged in the capital case, but he died at the jail.
Detective Winbush said he determined that Grier wrote the threatening note to Clemmons. He said he used the same phrase "Let bygones be bygones" in the letter and in a jail call he made to the mother of his children.
In that call, Grier talked about Clemmons testifying, saying he should not "for his own safety."