Opinion ID: 4023529
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Shootings and the Hearsay Testimony

Text: On September 15, 2003, in Rock Island, Illinois, LaRoy Owens was shot and killed and Ronald Hearn was wounded. Petitioner Lisle was convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm. Our focus is on trial testimony of Angela Lee, who is Hearn’s aunt. She was asleep at home on the morning of September 15, 2003 when Hearn woke her up by yelling outside her back door. With five through-and-through bullet wounds, Hearn had somehow managed to walk to Lee’s house a few blocks from the scene of the shootings. Lee called 911 and she and Hearn waited outside for help. While they waited, Lee asked Hearn some questions. The focus of Lisle’s Confrontation Clause claim is the following testimony: A I told him that he wasn’t going to die. You know, he said numerous of [sic] times that he was going to die, and I told him that he wasn’t. I told him he was a soldier. Soldiers didn’t die. But deep down inside, I didn’t think he was go- ing to make it. Looking at him, I didn’t think he was going to make it. No. 14-3047 3 Q Okay. You didn’t think he was going to make it. Out there in the chair by the van, did you ask him anything? A Yes, I did. Q What did you ask him? A I asked him who did that to him. Q What did he say? A I said: Nell, who did this to you? And he said – And I asked him again. I said: Who did this to you? And he said: “Auntie,” he said, “Roy shot, Auntie. Roy shot.” And then I said: “Roy did this to you?” He said: “No, Auntie. Roy shot. Roy shot.” And I said: “Nell, tell me who did this to you. Tell me.” And he grabbed me— I kind—I kind of leaned down, and he says: “Steve.” And he said: “And Korey was with him.” Hearn himself did not testify in Lisle’s criminal trial. He was not shown to have been unavailable, but neither the prosecution nor defense called him. The jury found Lisle guilty of first-degree murder and aggravated battery.