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The preliminary hearing against the man accused of killing Beanie Sigel's stepfather was marred by a major witness denying his previously made claims.
According to the Philadelphia Daily News, Ellis Gholson testified in court on Wednesday (January 25) that he never told police he had seen Sam Derry, Sigel's stepfather, get into a car with the defendant, Kevin Green, right before shots were fired, despite having signed a statement saying otherwise.
"I never said it was Kevin," said Gholson. "I never said Kevin. I don't know who was in the car. I never even approached the car."
Derry's body was found less than two blocks from where Gholson last saw him, he had been shot several times and set on fire.
Despite the change in Gholson's testimony, Municipal Judge James DeLeon decided to hold Green for trial on murder charges. The judge was still able to consider the statement Gholson originally gave police. In that account Gholson said Derry left his [Gholson's] house to meet Green.
Prosecutor Yvonne Ruiz said that although Gholson changed his story, "the commonwealth established this was a verbatim statement."
Ruiz went on to say that, "Obviously, something happened between the time that he gave the statement and he came here. He said he didn't want to come to court."
Derry was married to Sigel's mother, Michelle Brown Derry. His body was discovered dumped in a parking lot in Philadelphia's Cedarbrook section last October, about a week after Sigel was acquitted on attempted-murder charges.
Prosecutors did not introduce a motive for the killing yesterday in court, however Gholson said Derry used to get high at his house along with a female friend. After Derry's murder, police sources speculated that the incident had been drug-related.
Source: sohh.com
According to the Philadelphia Daily News, Ellis Gholson testified in court on Wednesday (January 25) that he never told police he had seen Sam Derry, Sigel's stepfather, get into a car with the defendant, Kevin Green, right before shots were fired, despite having signed a statement saying otherwise.
"I never said it was Kevin," said Gholson. "I never said Kevin. I don't know who was in the car. I never even approached the car."
Derry's body was found less than two blocks from where Gholson last saw him, he had been shot several times and set on fire.
Despite the change in Gholson's testimony, Municipal Judge James DeLeon decided to hold Green for trial on murder charges. The judge was still able to consider the statement Gholson originally gave police. In that account Gholson said Derry left his [Gholson's] house to meet Green.
Prosecutor Yvonne Ruiz said that although Gholson changed his story, "the commonwealth established this was a verbatim statement."
Ruiz went on to say that, "Obviously, something happened between the time that he gave the statement and he came here. He said he didn't want to come to court."
Derry was married to Sigel's mother, Michelle Brown Derry. His body was discovered dumped in a parking lot in Philadelphia's Cedarbrook section last October, about a week after Sigel was acquitted on attempted-murder charges.
Prosecutors did not introduce a motive for the killing yesterday in court, however Gholson said Derry used to get high at his house along with a female friend. After Derry's murder, police sources speculated that the incident had been drug-related.
Source: sohh.com