Opinion ID: 786204
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Inconsistencies Between Garner's and Soffar's Accounts

Text: 56 As a factual matter we pause here briefly to note that when juxtaposed, Garner's and Soffar's accounts of the robbery-murders appear dramatically at odds with one another. The numerous fundamental factual inconsistencies between these two versions of events are both obvious and striking. The most noteworthy discrepancies between Garner's recollection during interviews by detectives and Soffar's third written statement are summarized in table format in Appendix A to this opinion. This appendix is followed by Garner's diagram of the victims' positions at the time of the shootings ( see Appendix B ), which also differs dramatically from Soffar's diagram of the victims' positions at the time of the shootings ( see Appendix C ). 57 According to Garner's diagram, the victims at the time of the shooting were in a semi-circular position with Garner located between Sims and Temple. Thus, the order of the victims was Felsher, Sims, Garner, and Temple, or female, male, male, male. In contrast, Soffar's diagram shows the victims at the time of the shooting in a straight line in the following order: male, female, male, male. Although Soffar's diagram is consistent with the scene when the victims were found, it is significantly inconsistent with Garner's version of where the victims were located when the shooting took place. Further, in his statements, Garner explained why the order of the victims changed from the time of the shooting to the time the police arrived, telling the police that after he used the phone, he laid down in a different location next to Felsher, who was the only other victim still alive at the time. 58 We also note that the physical evidence in this case supports Garner's account of events more than Soffar's third statement. With respect to the forensic and ballistics evidence, as discussed supra, the bullet holes found in the carpeting of the bowling alley are consistent with the body configuration recalled by Garner, that is, with him lying between Sims and Temple when he was shot. There is no physical evidence to support Soffar's account of Garner having been shot lying between the front door and Felsher. In fact, the only unmatched bullet hole, which could represent the final resting point of the bullet exiting just beneath Garner's left eye, is the one between Sims and Temple. Also with respect to body configuration, the photographs of the crime scene depict the bodies aligned, not parallel to one another along the edge of the counter as depicted in Soffar's account, see Appendix C, but in a semi-circular configuration nearly identical to that depicted by Garner in his diagram, see Appendix B. Indeed, the photographs show a large vacant space between the bodies of Sims and Temple where, according to Garner, he would have been lying when shot. 59 With respect to Garner's account of how the perpetrator gained access to the bowling alley by feigning car trouble, a passerby to the bowling alley, who was never called as a witness by the State, told the police that at approximately 11:50 p.m., he passed the bowling alley and slowed down because he was looking for a place to purchase cigarettes, and that he saw a car parked directly in front of the bowling alley with its hood up. This individual saw just one person walking from that car toward the front entrance of the bowling alley. Additionally, one of the police photographs of the crime scene showed that there was a white plastic water jug like the one described by Garner as belonging to the robber located on the control booth counter. 27 60