Opinion ID: 441742
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Allison

Text: 83 The Government's theory of the case placed Allison as the driver of the getaway vehicle. Dervin Little testified that he and Allison were parked in the Malibu at a graveyard on the night of the incident. When Welden switched cars with him in the graveyard at 10:00 p.m., Allison left with Welden in the Malibu. Defense witness Wayne McCarson testified that he saw Allison sitting in the Malibu in Welden's driveway at 11:00 p.m. that same evening. The car was discovered the following morning parked at the State Line Garage, an auto repair shop operated by Allison. 84 Patricia Holcomb testified that when Welden visited her at about 5:00 a.m. on April 7, she saw a man sitting in the driver's seat of Little's car. Although at trial she could not positively identify the man as Allison, she did testify that she told FBI Agent Land the man was Allison when he interviewed her on the afternoon of April 7. After he was arrested on April 11, Allison told the FBI agent that he wanted to make it clear that he was not really a mean man, but he simply had too many people that got him into trouble. 85 In addition to this circumstantial evidence, the Government's case was strengthened by the weakness of Allison's alibi. Three witnesses testified that they were with Allison at Wayne McCarson's house drinking beer on the night of the kidnapping from 12:30 a.m. until 5:00 a.m. One of the witnesses, McCarson, gave inconsistent versions of where he picked up Allison to bring him to his house for the party. He first testified that he met Allison at Welden's house and later indicated that they met at a liquor store. The other two witnesses related events that the jury may have considered implausible. Witnesses Baker and Posey testified that Posey picked up Baker and one other person at their homes at around midnight for the purpose of driving around the area drinking beer. When they drove by McCarson's house at 12:30 a.m. and saw the lights on, they decided to drop in, joining Allison and McCarson until the early morning hours. 86 There was no direct evidence incriminating Allison in the crime. Unlike Welden, Allison was not positively identified by Callaway as one of her abductors. She did testify, however, that the driver of the car had blondish-brown curly hair, a description that is not inconsistent with Allison's appearance. Although each piece of circumstantial evidence, standing alone, would not have been enough to convict Allison, the totality of the evidence against him was sufficient to persuade a jury that he was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The jury reasonably could have disbelieved the testimony of his alibi witnesses, and the circumstantial evidence was sufficient to raise a reasonable inference that Allison was involved in the crime.