Opinion ID: 75958
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Testimony of Investigator West

Text: 12 Charles West, the lead investigator, testified during the resentencing. West found St. George lying kind of on her back, on her side ... [s]he was wearing blue jeans, no shirt, and had two wounds to her head. West secured and videotaped the crime scene. Over Robinson's counsel's objection, that videotape was shown to the jury. West pointed out the blood around St. George's head area and the bullet wound over her left eye. 13 West further testified about Robinson's sworn, post-arrest statement, in which Robinson admitted shooting St. George twice, but claimed his first shot was an accident. Robinson's post-arrest statement, published to the jury, provided as follows: 14 On Sunday night, between 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., I was at a party drinking Henessey Cognac, some gin or vodka and beer. I left at about 11:30 with Bernard [Fields]. We started to head for Orlando on 95 to see a girl I know there. 15 I saw a little green Plymouth with someone in it. I turned around and went back and stopped. I said, What's the problem? She said, No real problem and that she was tired and stopped. We talked and joked. I had a gun stuck in my pants. She said she needed something like that to kill this son of a bitch. Later she explained it was her ex-husband. 16 I grabbed her by her arm and said, Come on and she came. And I went past Charlie T's [restaurant] and turned down a road. There was a gate that was open. And when I got in, I saw it was a cemetery. We played around a little, and I got her out of her pants. 17 We got out of the car, and I took the gun out of my pants and laid it on the hood. Me and the chick were on the front of the car. And the kid said, Man, let's get out of here and take her back to the car. I said, No, I'm going to take the bitch back to the party. And she said, Who the fuck are you calling a bitch? I said, Shut up, whore. The kid started to laugh, and she went to pawing at me. 18 I picked up my gun. She was right against me, and I was trying to push her back. The gun went off and hit her in the face. She fell, and I called her and said, Hey, bitch, get up. She didn't say anything. I got a flashlight. She was lying on her side, and there was blood coming from her face. 19 I got scared. Then I shot her again. I had to. How do you tell someone I accidently shot a white woman? I hauled ass, started driving. I drove and drove for maybe an hour, two hours. Then I got my head straight and decided to rid of her stuff. I don't remember where I was, but I threw her pocketbook, blouse and I don't recall anything else. 20 The next thing I knew, it was breaking day. And I took Bernard [Fields] home. Then I went home. Monday afternoon when I woke up, I took a screwdriver and tore into the gun where you pull it back. When I finished with it, it wouldn't cock or pull a bullet into it. The gun stayed under the seat of my car. I couldn't figure out what to do with it. The screwdriver's in my trunk. 21 I was coming back from Orlando this morning on 8/17/85 around 1:00 and 2:00 o'clock this morning. And somewhere between Daytona and Ormond Beach, I stopped the car on I-95 and flung the gun into the bushes. 22 West also testified about his post-arrest conversation with Robinson. West asked Robinson why he had placed his firearm into his waistband before approaching St. George in her car. Robinson replied, Well, you know, a gun is a sign of power and authority. While West generally agreed that Robinson was cooperative, West also indicated that Robinson already knew Fields was cooperating with the State.