Opinion ID: 2320571
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Eyewitness

Text: On September 30, 2000, Otis Graham was fatally shot while driving a truck in the 1300 block of Trinidad Avenue, Northeast. It was not until August 2001, however, that there was a break in the case. On that day, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Detective Michael Irving visited Neilly Griffin's home located at 1310 Trinidad Avenue, N.E., while he was investigating an unrelated homicide. At that time, Griffin asked Detective Irving what had happened regarding the killing of the man in the white truck a year earlier. Griffin pointed toward appellant, who was standing across the street, and volunteered to Detective Irving that appellant and James Hill had killed the man in the white truck. When she saw Hill later that day, she pointed him out to Detective Irving as well. Griffin gave a different account, however, in July of 2002, when a defense investigator, James Hickey, and one of appellant's counsel came to Griffin's home in order to interview her. Griffin told them that she had not seen the shooting, and she signed a statement to that effect. Consistent with that signed statement, Griffin testified at appellant's first trial that she could not identify the shooters. The first trial resulted in a mistrial when the jury deadlocked. At appellant's second trial, however, Griffin testified that she was in her bedroom at approximately 6:10 a.m. on the morning of September 30, 2000, when she heard gunshots coming from what sounded like two different guns. When she looked out her window, she saw a white pickup truck coming up the street and swerving. She also saw two guys who came running into the middle of Trinidad Avenue behind the white pickup truck, shooting at it with their right hands and arms out straight pointing at the truck. From her window, Griffin could see the entire 1300 block of Trinidad Avenue and the intersection of Trinidad and Neal Street. Griffin also testified that she saw sparks and light flashing from the hands of the two men, although she did not see guns in their hands. The truck crashed across the street from Griffin's window and the two men ran toward it and passed by the front of Griffin's house. As the two men ran by her house she recognized one as Dee and the other as Fats. She later learned that their real names were James Hill and Marcus Paige, respectively. Griffin then came outside and saw a body slumped over in the driver's seat of the truck. She saw the shooters standing in a nearby alley. When paramedics and police arrived, Griffin explained, she did not speak to them because she did not want to get involved. Griffin further testified that the statement she gave the defense investigators in July 2002 contained many false statements and that she had signed it so that her name would stay out of the case and she would not have to worry about anyone finding out or harassing [her] or harassing [her] children. She also admitted that she did not initially comply with the subpoena to testify at the first trial and then testified falsely at that trial because she felt intimidated and spooked by a man sitting in the courtroom who was shaking and nodding his head and clearing his throat. Thereafter, at the second trial, she testified about the occurrence, named appellant and Dee (referring to Hill) as the shooters, and positively identified appellant in the courtroom.