Statements made to police by a Lawrence man charged with murder earlier this year can be used in court, a Douglas County District Court judge ruled late this morning.

Judge Jack Murphy found that Lawrence Police properly read “Miranda rights,” warnings issued to those arrested about their rights to an attorney and against self-incrimination, to Lafayette D. E. Cosby, 25, who is charged with the April 4 shooting of Robert P. Martin, 28, at Jefferson Commons apartment complex in southwest Lawrence.

According to testimony this morning, Cosby said he wanted an attorney and invoked his Miranda rights.

However, he later made unsolicited statements to police, such as saying “Nobody knows what happened. Just me and Rob,” according to the notes from the officers who interviewed Cosby.

Eyewitnesses said the two acquaintances went into a back room of a unit at Jefferson Commons, 2511 W. 31st St., to talk and gave no indication anything was wrong until Cosby again left the room, came back with a gun and shot Martin at close range.

The trial is scheduled for Nov. 8.

For more on this story, pick up a copy of Saturday’s Journal-World.