Opinion ID: 2603544
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Dunbar Homicide

Text: About 1 p.m. on October 16, 1979, John Dunbar, a lawyer employed by Texaco, entered Boy's Market across the street from Kings' Manor Housing Project. He may have attempted to cash a check, since a cashier there remembered having seen Dunbar's driver's license. Dunbar left the store, got in his car and began to drive slowly down La Pintoresca Street. Arlene Gagatch, who was sitting in her car on La Pintoresca, saw Dunbar drive by. She noticed him because he looked out of place in this neighborhood where almost everyone was Black or Mexican. Gagatch saw two young Black men, aged 16 to 18, approach Dunbar's car as it drove slowly along the street. One of them pulled out a gun and fired at Dunbar from about three feet away. She heard two shots and saw the car hit a tree and bounce back. The two young men then ran off toward Kings' Manor. Gagatch identified appellant from photographs and a lineup as the one who fired the shot. She described the jacket appellant was wearing, but apparently identified a jacket that had been taken from another suspect. Gagatch had been waiting for her friend Jerome Bobo who lived on La Pintoresca. Bobo testified that he heard a shot, ran out of his house and saw Dunbar's car hit the tree. When he approached the car, he saw Dunbar slumped over with a hole in his head. Arthur Spencer also saw the killing of Dunbar. He had been in Boy's Market when Dunbar came in. He saw him get in a car and drive off slowly. Spencer left the market and watched from the sidewalk as appellant and a couple of his friends walked along near Dunbar's car. He saw appellant raise a gun and shoot the driver in the head through the window. The car hit a tree and everyone ran. Spencer remembered seeing a woman sitting in a car on La Pintoresca. Dunbar was found dead in his car from a gunshot wound in his head. The assailants had not touched him or entered his car. Dunbar's wallet was found on the floor of the car. More than $100 was in his shirt pocket. Valerie Thompson testified that she saw appellant and Donnie Gray on the evening of October 16, 1979. Although she would not confirm the truth of a statement she had made to a police officer when she was in jail, she did admit that she had told the police that appellant told her that he and Donnie had seen a White man who looked rich at Boy's Market. Appellant said he shot the man and took some money but left other money and jewelry behind.