Opinion ID: 2321939
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Gillispie's Trial

Text: At Gillispie's trial, Mercer testified about the Bronx robbery and the Barnegat murders. He testified pursuant to a plea agreement and provided an exhaustive account of the events that transpired on the day of the Barnegat murders, including the details of Gillispie cutting Staton's throat in an effort to get Michael to disclose where the money was kept, and then shooting Staton and Michael in the head through a pillow. Michael's girlfriend, Heather Ballman, testified that on November 28, 2000, Michael spoke to someone on his cell phone around 10:00 p.m. and then hurriedly asked Ballman to drive him to Cumberland Farms in Barnegat. Ballman testified that she last saw Michael getting into a dark colored car with Virginia license plates. At trial, the State further demonstrated that, after further investigation, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office obtained information from Michael's cell phone records indicating that the last call Michael had received was from a phone registered to an individual named Shawnta Watkins. Two detectives traveled to the Bronx, where Watkins lived, and within several minutes they observed a black Lexus with Virginia plates near Shawnta's residence being driven by Buttler. Shawnta advised the police that while the cell phone in question was purchased by and registered to her, it was actually used by her sister, Janyce Watkins. The police interviewed Janyce and recovered from her a diamond ring that matched a photograph of a diamond ring found in an appraisal folder at Staton's home. Janyce Watkins confirmed those events through her testimony. She testified that, in November 2000, Buttler and Gillispie had discussed robbing a New Jersey drug dealer, and that the dealer would have to be killed because he knew Gillispie. Janyce also testified that on November 28, 2000, the day the murders took place, Buttler asked her to connect him (using a three-way dialing option on her cell phone) to a cell phone number that had a 609 area code. While listening in on the call, she overheard what she believed to be Buttler entering into a gun transaction with the party from New Jersey. Later that night, around 10:00 p.m., when Buttler was in New Jersey, he called Janyce, who was at home in the Bronx, and asked her to connect him once again to the 609 number from earlier. Janyce complied, and overheard Gillispie and the 609 party agreeing to meet at Cumberland Farms. Janyce then testified that, later that night between 1:00 and 2:00 a.m., she met Buttler at a hotel in the Bronx where he gave her a diamond ringwhich he admitted to acquiring by tying up, robbing, and killing two people from New Jersey. Michael Kreybig, another State's witness, also placed Gillispie near Barnegat on the night of the murders. He testified that he sold drugs for Gillispie and that on November 28, 2000, he met with Gillispie near Barnegat and paid him $800. Kreybig further testified that, on the night in question, Gillispie was with two other men and was driving a black Lexus with Virginia license plates. The State also called witnesses to establish that, twenty days before the Barnegat homicides, Gillispie and Buttler committed the attempted robbery of a barbershop in the Bronx, during which several people were shot but not killed. Mercer began his testimony by indicating that he first met defendant Buttler in Lewisburg Penitentiary around August 1994. Mercer remained an associate of Buttler'sserving a subsequent prison term in New Jersey with Buttleruntil the spring of 2000, when they were both released from prison. Around August 2000, Buttler contacted Mercer to ask whether Mercer knew any drug dealers that they might be able to rob. Mercer testified that Buttler told him not to worry about any robberies coming back to Mercer, becausein Mercer's opinionButtler was prepared to kill any drug dealers that he robbed. Mercer also stated that in October 2000, he rode with Buttler and Janyce Watkins in a black Lexus with Virginia plates to investigate a potential robbery target, but nothing came of that venture. Mercer testified that, over the course of several months, Buttler continued asking about potential targets until eventually, in November, Buttler solicited Mercer's assistance in robbing a hair salon [or barbershop] in the Bronx. Mercer admitted that he agreed to participate, and that he met up with Buttler to carry out the plan. At this point, Mercer testified that Buttler introduced him to Gillispie, who would also participate in the robbery, and Mercer identified Gillispie in court. Mercer testified that the barbershop was selected because there was supposed to be a supply of marijuana in the basement, and no resistance was expected. Mercer explained how he and Gillispie carried out the robbery: [Gillispie] came in 30 secondsnot long, right behind me. . . . And [Gillispie] was, like, on the count of ten, you know, we could take the place over. So he started counting, taking deep breaths: one, two. And by the time [a male patron] had got out of the chair and left, he had got to ten and pulled his gun out and got the guy that was getting ready to do his hair. . . . We were supposed to take them to the back, `cause the marijuana was supposed to have been down in the basement. So we was going to take them in the back, and secure everyone in the back, and just go right down in the basement and take the weed, the marijuana. . . . By the timeI had about two girls in front of me and I think maybe the girl that was getting her hair done. And [Gillispie] had moved everyone else to the back. There was a little step that you had to go up to, to get to the back area all the way in the back. . . . And in not too long, I just hear a bunch of shots, a lot of shots just start ringing out, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Mercer testified that he and Gillispie immediately took off and fled the scene without taking any proceeds. Mercer indicated Buttler was upset that Gillispie had shot up the place and that they came out of there empty-handed. The State also called Detective Barry as a ballistics expert in order to show that the same gun used in the barbershop robbery was also used in the Barnegat murders. Barry's ultimate conclusion was: The total of five cartridge casings or shell casings from the hair salon, I compared to the two from New Jersey, and I found that the total of seven cartridge casings were all fired from one gun, the same gun. In support of that conclusion, the State elicited more specific testimony regarding the barbershop shell casings: A: I received a total of five .40 caliber cartridge casings, or discharge shells, and two bullets, .40 caliber bullets. . . . A: This, again, is a property invoice, and it's numbered K-615274 and it describes property which I examined. Q: What did you examine? A: It was a .40 caliber bullet. Q: Recovered from? A: Recovered from the victim in the Bronx. [(emphasis supplied).] Detective Mojica was called during Gillispie's trial as one of the officers that responded to the scene of the barbershop robbery in New York. He testified that there were several people that were shot at that location. Mojica provided detailed testimony regarding his observations upon reaching the crime scene in the Bronx: A: . . . [T]here was a male being taken out on a stretcher at that point. . . . A: . . . [W]hen you walked toward the back of the location, there was blood on the floor on top of a couple of shell casings. Q: And howhow many shooting victims were there? A: There was three, total. . . . A: The worst one was Christopher Folks. He was shothe was shot four times. There was a Keith Adams shot in the leg area, and a Valerie McCloud, also shot in the leg area. . . . Q: And what was the nature of Chris Folks' injuries? A: Oh, he was the worst off. . . . Q: Did anybody die as a result of the shooting in the barbershop in the Bronx? A: No, sir. Mojica then testified regarding the procedure he employed to collect and properly preserve evidence, such as the shell casings and discharged bullets. During this aspect of his testimony, Mojica was questioned specifically about one copper round that was apparently recovered from a victim at the scene: Q: Okay. And what is that formwhat does that form voucher? What's the property that's listed on the form? A: One copper round. I vouchered it. Q: And who recovered that copper round? A: I did. Q: Okay. And where did you recover it? A: It was at the crime scene. Q: Where, specifically, at the crime scene? A: Outside of the location. My understanding was that it fell out of the body. Q: Of who? A: Mr. Folks. [(emphasis supplied).] Eventually, Detective Mojica had the opportunity to interview Gillispie regarding the barbershop robbery, and Mojica testified at length about what happened during the interview. Mojica testified that Gillispie told him the following: At the time [of the robbery, Gillispie] was getting everybody to the rear of the barbershop, everymost people complied and were cooperative with him. . . . When [a male in the barbershop] invaded his space, at that point Mr. Gillispie struck him with the firearm. At that point he indicated that he let one round go, and it went into the air, and four other rounds hit the male. Over objection, the State then had Mojica read directly from Gillispie's hand-written statement regarding the barbershop incident. The statement had been admitted into evidence, and provided: A: [I]n early November, I received a tip that a barbershop had just received a large quantity of weed. An associate and I went into the barbershop. . . . I pulled out a gun and demanded everyone to move to the back. While everyone was on my left and about to proceed to the basement which supposedsupposedly stored the weed, a man bumped into me diagonally from my right rear. I said to the man, `What the f[- -]k are you doing?' At this point, he put his hands shoulder high. However, we were in very close proximity, so I hit him with the gun and took a step back. At this point he moved towards me, and we made physical contact. Somehow a shot went in the air, and approximately five more were fired, three to four hitting the same man, and two hitting two other individuals. When Mojica finished questioning Gillispie about the Bronx barbershop robbery, he told Gillispie that detectives from New Jersey were there to speak to him. Mojica stated that Gillispie's response to this was, [p]robably the same gun was used. Mojica's testimony continued: Q: And had youdid you say something to [Gillispie] in response to that? A: At that point, I said, Talk to the guys in Jersey. Justthey are here, just talk to them. At that point, he looks me dead in the face, and he goes, Tell Jerseyand he is pointing at me, and he says, Tell Jersey the guy you locked up, and he points at me, and I'm likethe guy you locked up is the guy who didwho shot the people in New Jersey. And he goes, The guy you locked up, and he's pointing at me, and he points at him, so he goes back and forth. And at this point, it's one of still to this day, and I say it out of all the interviews, it's one of the most chilling statements that I've ever, you know, received from somebody. . . . Q: Iswhat did the defendant say when he was pointing at you, and what did he say when he was pointing at himself? [Objection overruled.] A: The guy you locked upI'm sorry. The guy you locked up is the guy who shot the people in New Jersey. (The witness demonstrates.) Sol Cepero testified at Gillispie's trial only. She lived in the same apartment as Gillispie, and she testified that around 1:30 a.m. on the night of the murders, Gillispie, a man she knew as his uncle, and another man went into Gillispie's room. She testified that the other two men stayed there for about twenty minutes before leaving. Cepero testified that Gillispie then came to Cepero and her boyfriend, who had been watching TV, and showed them some rings. Cepero testified that Gillispie asked them what they believed he could receive for the rings if he took them to a pawn shop. She suggested he would receive only bullshit money for the diamond ring from a pawnshop, and he should give it to his girlfriend instead. At approximately 8:30 a.m. the next morning, Gillispie came out of his bedroom and Cepero testified that the following exchange occurred: Q: All right. And when [Gillispie] comes out, what if anything does he say to you? Tell us the conversations. A: Sol, has anyonewas anyone here last night? And I answered no. And he just kept asking me that question. . . . So as he kept asking me, he was getting angrier. . . . A: So Ione of the times he came out, I saw my daughter's father give me a sign behind him, like trying to calm me down, and I looked at him, and he gave me a sign that he had a gun in his back pocket. Q: Who's giving you the sign? A: My daughter's father. He told me something [Hearsay objection overruled.] . . . A: He came out telling measking me if anyone had been in the house, and I answered no. And he kept on asking me the same question . . . with a tone in his voice, so I knew . . . he was insinuating something . . . And then he said: Well, you know what? The rings were missing from his room. Cepero continued to testify about the argument she had with Gillispie concerning the missing jewelry. Eventually, Cepero testified that Gillispie grabbed her boyfriend by his neck, took out a gun, and hit her boyfriend on the head with the butt of the weapon, causing the man to bleed a lot from his head. The argument continued, and Cepero testified that Gillispie pointed the gun at her, and start[ed] cursing at me and then telling me, oh, you f-----g people, you don't even know, I had to put bullet holes in motherf- - -ers for this shit, for the rings.