Opinion ID: 179722
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: State-court trial testimony

Text: At trial, Lunceford was the main witness against Brooks. Lunceford was then serving time for felony convictions of robbery and forgery, and he admitted to numerous past offenses of driving under the influence, driving on a revoked license, and simple assaults or domestic disputes. Most of the factual narrative set forth above is based on Lunceford's testimony. The prosecution also introduced physical evidence, which included two Bud Light cans discovered near Wisniewski's body on Barge Point Road. Special Agent Hoyt Phillips of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) testified that he had processed the beer cans for latent fingerprints. He explained that he had found Brooks's left thumb print on one of the cans and Brooks's left palm print on the other can. In addition, TBI Special Agent Anthony Clark, formerly of the Clarksville Police Department, testified that he was one of the officers who searched Connie Gonzalez's home as part of the police investigation. They discovered a stuffed animal that had been torn or cut. A key ring with car keys belonging to Wisniewski was found inside of the stuffed animal. Finally, Michael Wayne Nelson, a convicted felon then serving time in prison, testified that he and Brooks shared a cell in the Montgomery County Jail on June 7, 1996. Nelson stated that Brooks confessed his guilt to Nelson. Brooks provided Nelson with details of the crime that were consistent with Lunceford's testimony of what had happened. He also told Nelson that the only evidence against Brooks was his companion at the time of the crime, and that he wished that he had killed his companion as well. Nelson admitted during his direct examination that he had prior convictions for larceny from a person, grand larceny, and escape. He also acknowledged that he was facing breach-of-trust charges at the time of his testimony for failing to return to the Nashville Community Service Center after having been placed on parole. When the prosecution rested, Brooks proceeded with several witnesses of his own. These included Melissa Ann Springfield Conner, who was one of Lunceford's friends. She testified that Lunceford had told her that he was involved in a murder trial. He said that the police had wired him and given him money and drugs to go into a bar, where he was to party with a man and get the man sufficiently messed up to confess. This testimony contradicted Lunceford's testimony that he had not received any money from the police. Conner also said that she doubted the veracity of Lunceford's story that he had no involvement with the crimes other than to have gone along with the perpetrator. Another defense witness was Debbie O'Bryan, a former bartender and manager of the Pickle Factory bar. O'Bryan recalled Brooks, Lunceford, Wisniewski, and others being at the bar on October 28, 1994. She did not recall Herdman being there. Lunceford was in and out all day. Brooks left at times, but was never gone for more than 5 to 10 minutes. O'Bryan left the bar for around 45 minutes. Brooks was at the bar when she left and was there when she returned. But O'Bryan conceded that separating the events of one day from those of another as far back as the date of Wisniewski's death was difficult. The next defense witness was Fred Lunceford (Fred), Edwin Lunceford's brother. He recalled a conversation that he had had with his brother about Wisniewski's death. Lunceford told Fred that a woman had been with him and Brooks at the time of the killing. This contradicted Lunceford's testimony that only he and Brooks were with Wisniewski on Barge Point Road. Dorothy Suggs, a part-time employee of the Pickle Factory bar on October 28, 1994, followed Fred as a witness. She did not learn of Wisniewski's death until a long time afterwards. When she heard of it, she asked Debbie O'Bryan whether the death occurred on the same day that Suggs had sat at a table with Wisniewski and others at the Pickle Factory bar, which O'Bryan confirmed. On that day, Wisniewski bought beers for a large group of people, including Brooks and Lunceford. Wisniewski expressed his desire to go to another bar at some point that afternoon. A patron nicknamed Boston Rick (later identified as Richard Roberts) picked up Wisniewski's car keys and said that he would take Wisniewski. Lunceford said that he would go as well, and the three men left. A female patron may have accompanied the men. Suggs admitted that she and Brooks are good friends, and that Brooks had spent the night in her home on occasions when he was too drunk to drive to his own home. Lieutenant Douglas Tackett, a Sheriff's Department administrator at the Montgomery County Jail, was the final defense witness. He stated that he had known Michael Nelson for about 15 years and did not believe him to be truthful. In rebuttal, the State recalled Agent Clark, who said that Debbie O'Bryan had told him during her interview that she had no knowledge of what had allegedly happened at the Pickle Factory bar on October 28, 1994. This concluded all of the testimony at trial. Brooks was found guilty of first-degree felony murder, especially aggravated robbery, theft of property valued over $1,000, and setting fire to personal property. His timely appeal followed.