Opinion ID: 2977798
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Key Prosecution Witnesses

Text: Kevin Richardson testified that Petitioner left home four times on the night in question. The first time Petitioner left with Justin Heiser and Eric Shann. They came back with two bags of golf clubs. The same three young men left a second time. Richardson subsequently received a telephone call from Justin Heiser, who stated that they had thrown a rock at a lady’s patio and set off an alarm. Petitioner, Justin, and Eric returned to Petitioner’s home, but Petitioner left the house a third time. He returned and said that the lady had grabbed his arm. He had a radio, television, and some beer with him, and he stated that he could not have any witnesses and had some business to do. He then left once more, this time accompanied by Justin Heiser. When Petitioner returned home, he was carrying a baseball bat with blood on it and a coin container. Petitioner said that he had hit the lady on the head two times, paused, and then hit her a few more times. Eric Shann admitted that he and Justin Heiser went for a walk with Petitioner on a Friday night in mid-October 1999. He claimed that Petitioner removed some golf clubs from a person’s garage and that the group took the golf clubs back to Petitioner’s home. The three of them went out a second time. They lost track of Petitioner, but heard an alarm sound. Eventually, all three of them returned to Petitioner’s house. Petitioner then picked up a baseball bat and stated that he had to take care of business. He and Justin Heiser left the house. The two of them returned home separately. Petitioner was carrying the bat, which had blood on it, and Justin was carrying a barrel of pennies. Petitioner said that he had hit the lady with the bat eight times and that he had never killed anyone before that night. Justin Heiser admitted to helping Petitioner steal two bags of golf clubs on a Friday night in October of 1999. He also admitted to being with Petitioner and Eric Shann when a burglar alarm was triggered later that night. He returned to Petitioner’s home and observed Petitioner leave the house a third time. When Petitioner came back, he stated that he had got into an old lady’s house and, as he was going through the house, the lady woke up, grabbed his arm, and looked at him. Petitioner asked for a volunteer to help him take care of some business. He said that he could not have any witnesses. Justin offered to help, and the two of them went to a house where the back patio window was broken. Petitioner had a wooden baseball bat and some gloves with him. Justin initially stayed outside while Petitioner went in the house. Justin heard some thumping noises and decided to go inside to look for something to steal. He walked into a bedroom and saw someone lying in a bed. Petitioner met him in the kitchen and gave him a barrel of coins, which he carried back to Petitioner’s house. Petitioner returned home with the bat and stated that he had never previously killed anyone. Then he cried and instructed Justin not to say -2- No. 08-1407 Raedeke v. Trombley anything to anyone. Justin informed the police that Petitioner had said he hit the victim with the bat and that she made a moaning noise. Then he hit her a couple more times until she gurgled blood. He continued to hit her until she stopped moving. Charles (“Wes”) Heiser was Justin Heiser’s older brother. He testified that, mid-October 1999, Petitioner pointed out a house on Craig Street and stated that he broke into the house during the previous night and killed a lady who was present in the house. Petitioner explained to Wes that he broke a window in the house and set off an alarm, but later went back to the house and beat the woman to death with a ball bat because she woke up when he looked under the bed. Petitioner showed Heiser a cut on his leg, which he said that he received when he kicked in the window. He also showed Heiser some things that he had taken from the house. Petitioner informed Jered Grierson that he cut his leg on a fence. Jered learned about the murder from Wes Heiser, who informed him what Petitioner had said to him. According to Jered, who spent about two or three hours at Petitioner’s home on the night in question, Petitioner was drinking Tequilla [sic] and beer that night. William Harris heard about the incident from Jered Grierson. William asked Petitioner if he really did it and why. Petitioner then put his head down, started to cry, and said, “I don’t know.” Petitioner asked William for help in obtaining a bus ticket and, after his arrest, Petitioner wrote to William from jail. In his letters, Petitioner stated that he wore leather gloves and left no fingerprints, and he mentioned that some of his friends had “snitched” on him.