Opinion ID: 76969
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Disclosure of Jackson's Third Statement During Trial

Text: 8 When the trial resumed on November 26, 1990, the prosecutor, Nancy Grace, disclosed an additional statement of one of the witnesses. The statement was given by Torrance Jackson on September 11, 1990, more than two months before trial, and it was different from two previous statements of Jackson that had been disclosed to the defense. Jackson, an eyewitness at the scene of the murders, identified an unindicted person, John Ragin, as a participant in the murder. When Jackson identified Ragin, he stated, This is the man that I saw shoot John. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the man that shot John Davis. 9 At trial, numerous eyewitnesses testified that they saw Stephens rob and shoot the victims, and several other witnesses who did not see the shootings testified that they saw Stephens on the scene shortly before the murders. Three witnesses testified that they saw Stephens shoot John Davis. One of these witnesses stated that Stephens was the only shooter. Four witnesses testified that they saw Stephens grab Tony Daniel down from a fence, put his foot on Daniel's chest, and shoot him. Two witnesses testified that Stephens was at the crime scene in a blue Cadillac. One witness testified that he heard shots and saw Stephens in a Cadillac leaving from the crime scene. A co-defendant, who later recanted at the hearing on the motion for a new trial, testified consistently with the other witnesses. The co-defendant testified that he acted as a lookout while Stephens and others robbed and murdered the victims, and Stephens paid him $130 for his participation in the crime. 10 Detective Curtis Johnson, the lead investigator, testified that the police had several suspects. Johnson stated that, after Stephens and his four co-defendants were in jail, Johnson continued looking for two unidentified persons. Johnson testified, however, that neither of these two unidentified persons were ever named as being the shooter. They were only described as being on the scene in the Red Oaks area the night of the murders. Johnson later admitted on cross-examination that, in the recently disclosed statement of September 11, 1990, Torrance Jackson identified John Ragin as the man who shot John Davis. 11