Opinion ID: 1772836
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: mills' testimony

Text: According to Mills, he and Bowen were out drinking and driving when her car broke down near Ratliff's home. Bowen told him that she knew Ratliff and she would go ask him if he would give the car a jump start. Bowen left and returned with Ratliff in his truck. While the battery was charging, the threesome started drinking beer. The suggestion was made to go somewhere and drink more. All being agreeable, Mills and Bowen followed Ratliff to the abandoned strip mine. Once there, Ratliff wanted to talk with Bowen alone. The pair walked away leaving Mills alone with the two vehicles. When Bowen and Ratliff returned, they were arguing. Mills became involved in the argument and, consequently, got into a fist fight with Ratliff. Mills was smaller than Ratliff, who soon got the best of Mills. During the fight, a gun that Mills had tucked into the back of his pants, fell to the ground. Bowen grabbed the gun. While Ratliff was on top of Mills beating him with his fists, Bowen struck Ratliff at least twice in the head with the gun. Also, she accidently hit Mills. Mills then took the gun away from Bowen. Before he could do anything to stop her, Bowen grabbed a knife and stabbed Ratliff with it. Mills admitted that he helped cover up the murder by burning his and Bowen's clothes and by disposing of the gun. But, he denied ever taking any money from Ratliff, shooting him, or any responsibility for his death. In Mills' own words, [N]o sooner than I got the gun away from [Bowen] ... she stabs [Ratliff].... There wasn't nothing I could do. It wasn't my fault. It wasn't my fault.