Opinion ID: 844200
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Disputing other crimes

Text: Danny Davis, a defense investigator, testified concerning his interviews with Terry Garrison, Tina Kidwell, and Cathy D., in St. Louis. According to Davis, Garrison told him that she thought defendant was a good father to the children and did not mention anything about defendant molesting her daughter, Angela C. Garrison said that she and Jones regularly drank alcohol and smoked marijuana, that the majority of their physical confrontations occurred while they were under the influence, and that defendant regularly beat her. 34 Tina Kidwell told Davis she met defendant in 1981 and that they had been ―boyfriend and girlfriend on and off‖ for two years, living together for three months during that time. Kidwell said defendant was ―a very good father‖ and that he never acted inappropriately with her child or his daughter. The longer she and defendant were together, however, the more problems they had. Defendant liked to be in control of all aspects of their relationship. When defendant was sober, he was a very nice person, but when he drank alcohol, he changed. He sometimes would hit Kidwell, usually when he was drunk. Kidwell expressed surprise at the charges defendant faced in this case. Cathy D. told Davis that she and defendant had been ―drinking buddies‖ in 1982. She said defendant was a ―very nice guy‖ when he was sober, but when he drank alcohol, which he did frequently, or used drugs, he was short-tempered and could be violent. She characterized the 1983 rape that occurred in defendant‘s residence as one in which defendant merely became ―sexually aggressive‖ after her boyfriend left. Davis acknowledged on cross-examination that ―a woman could be uncomfortable discussing rape with a man she did not know.‖
Mina Lee Jones, defendant‘s mother, testified that after Elsie S. and defendant ended their relationship, Elsie S. called her house several times looking for defendant. Mrs. Jones eventually told Elsie S. that defendant did not want to speak to her, and the calls ceased. 35
Wesley Daw, a prosecution investigator, testified concerning his interview with Frances in St. Louis in 1996, approximately six months before she died.7 Her son and 16-year-old grandson were present during the interview. When Daw asked Frances about the prior ―problem‖ she had with defendant, Frances told Daw that defendant had forcefully grabbed her by the legs and ―got fresh‖ with her. Her son asked her whether defendant touched her ―private parts,‖ to which Frances replied: ―Oh no-no-no-no, he didn‘t do nothing like that.‖ Daw asked Frances if defendant‘s actions ―seemed to you like a sexual advance,‖ to which Frances replied, ―I would think so, yes.‖