Opinion ID: 2581123
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: knight's testimony

Text: {19} During the habeas hearing, Knight testified in response to questions by the judge that she had lied at trial, she was never at the scene, and she did not know anything about the events leading to Mitchell's death. She explained that during her initial visits with the police, she told them that she did not know anything about the events leading to Mitchell's death. However, she claims she felt pressured because the police interviewed her a number of times and told her they had information that her truck was at the scene. Finally, when Case changed his story and admitted that he was at the scene, she changed her story and gave the police details of what happened, with one lie leading to another. {20} During the trial, over twenty years before the habeas evidentiary hearing, Knight testified to the following. She was seventeen years old at the time and considered Mitchell a friend. She saw Mitchell at a party on the island near Six Mile Dam. Mitchell was with Case, Curtis Worley, Mike Tweedy, Joe Brown, and Dunlap in a car driven by Worley. The boys were talking about what a nice body Mitchell had and how they wanted to have sex with her. Knight did not believe that Mitchell heard the discussion, but the boys talked about gang-banging Mitchell and something about the dam. Knight then saw Mitchell get in a car with the boys and leave the party. About fifteen minutes later, Knight drove in her truck to the dam, where she saw Worley's car parked. She stopped her truck and started to get out, when Case and then Dunlap approached her and told her she should not be there. Knight did not leave immediately because she saw Mitchell in the car with her shirt off and Worley on top of her. Mitchell saw Knight and hollered Help, Audrey. Knight started toward the car, but Case and Dunlap got in front of her and pushed her. She then saw Worley hit Mitchell and saw Tweedy hold Mitchell's hands and then cover her mouth. At that point, Knight left. {21} When asked why she had not told the police what she saw, Knight testified that Case and Dunlap had told her not to say anything or they would hurt her family and a specific friend. She said she was afraid of them. She also described a conversation the next day where the boys, including Case, expressed concern about Mitchell's body being found. {22} During an extensive cross-examination, Knight acknowledged that when she first spoke with the police, she lied and was trying not to tell the police anything about the boys. Having admitted that she lied to the police, she claimed that she lied because she was scared. She also acknowledged under cross-examination that she felt pressure from the police and was a little afraid of them. She indicated that the police were the first ones to use the phrase gang bang. She was not able to verify that Autry was there that night, although she had previously told the police that he might have been.