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Witness testifies at murder trial
YOUNGSTOWN
Jurors in the case of two teens accused of murder heard testimony from a female teen who witnessed the shooting.
Deandre M. McCreary, 16, of West Woodland Avenue, and Rayshawn Royal, 17, of Cohasset Drive, are on trial on charges of aggravated murder and aggravated robbery with gun specifications in the June 18, 2011, fatal shooting of Brandon Adkins.
Police found Adkins, 16, of East Philadelphia Avenue, a Chaney High School student, lying in the driveway of a house in the 3100 block of South Avenue, shot in the back, abdomen and right forearm and surrounded by a large crowd.
Police said Adkins was shot by two people with two guns after a fight earlier that evening at a party in the 400 block of Mistletoe Avenue.
The trial is before Judge Maureen A. Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
Court is not in session today. The trial resumes Thursday.
The 15-year-old witness, who appeared nervous and often spoke too fast for the court recorder to take notes, gave this account.
She said McCreary and Royal both pulled out handguns on the unarmed Adkins.
“He [Royal] told him [Adkins] he had five seconds to check his pockets. He [Adkins] said, ‘Why is ya’ll on that. Why ya’ll got to be pulling out guns,’” the girl told jurors.
She said she went into the house to get her mother upon seeing the two boys pull out guns. She immediately heard gunfire upon going back into the house. Her mother called 911 after hearing the shots fired.
The witness said she went back outside after hearing the gunfire and found Adkins attempting to walk up the steps leading to her porch, but he stumbled and fell in the driveway of the home. She said Royal and McCreary ran off in separate directions, with McCreary stopping long enough to pick up a spent shell casing before continuing to run.
The witness said she recognized McCreary and Royal from being in the neighborhood but did not know either of the boys personally.
On cross-examination from attorneys Anthony Meranto, representing McCreary, and Jeffrey Limbian, representing Royal, the girl admitted she could not identify either of their clients in a police picture array immediately after the shooting. She said she did not recognize them in the pictures.
She also admitted her story may have changed somewhat between the time of her initial statement to police and the trial.
She said she was nervous speaking to police after the shooting but has since had time to collect her thoughts and is no longer nervous.