Girlfriend: Suspect admitted shootings / LJWorld.com

Archive for Friday, April 20, 2007

April 20, 2007

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Granada shooting suspect talked about shooting to girlfriend after incident

The man accused of the fatal shooting outside the Granada in February of 2006 talked about the incident after it happened, according to testimony by his girlfriend. Enlarge video

Days after a downtown Lawrence shooting in February 2006, a Topeka man spoke of shooting two people and killing one of them, his girlfriend testified Thursday.

Rashawn Anderson also threatened to harm her and her family, DeShayla Johnson said during the third day of Anderson's murder trial in Douglas County District Court.

"Why would you do that?" Johnson said she asked Anderson, who indicated there had been a dispute leading up to the shooting.

Anderson is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated battery in the Feb. 5, 2006, shooting outside the Granada, 1020 Mass., after a hip-hop concert. Robert E. Williams, 46, also of Topeka, was shot five times and died after being taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Pierre Burnette, 24, Kansas City, Kan., was shot once in the back and injured.

During her tear-filled testimony, Johnson said she was not with Anderson that night and only talked to him twice by cell phone.

A few days later in Topeka, Johnson said she overheard Anderson telling a friend that he was nervous because he heard there was a videotape of the scene outside the Granada.

Also in court Thursday, an eyewitness to the shooting identified Anderson as the shooter.

Bryce Johnson, 33, Topeka, said he had pulled Williams - his family friend, whom he referred to as "uncle" - away from two arguments that night. None of the altercations involved physical violence, he said.

Other testimony has indicated Williams argued with several people that night and at one point, minutes before the shooting, he was surrounded by several men, including Anderson. Williams had pulled out a pocket knife and held it behind his leg, according to testimony and a video shot minutes before the shooting by a contractor for Upset Records.

Bryce Johnson said he was eventually able to get Williams away from the Granada. Minutes later, as Johnson was standing outside the theater trying to call a friend, he heard someone yell profanities. Then he heard several shots about 20 feet away.

Johnson said he ducked down and saw the face of the shooter underneath the hood of a brownish, heavy coat. The hood eventually came off, and he said the shooter wore a black baseball cap.

"When he looked toward me, my way, that's when I saw. That's when I saw his face," Johnson said.

Two other eyewitnesses - who didn't see the shooter's face - have identified the gunman as wearing a similar coat, described as a Carhartt jacket. In the video, Anderson can be seen wearing a tan or brownish coat and a black Atlanta Braves baseball cap.

Police detectives recovered the coat from another Topeka man's residence.

Bryce Johnson identified Anderson in court as the shooter.

"The hair's cut down, but that night he had braids," he said.

Douglas County District Judge Paula Martin recessed the trial Thursday when defense attorney Mark Manna was questioning Bryce Johnson. Expected to be the state's final witness, Johnson will resume testimony this morning.

Anderson's defense attorneys have said several people had motive to shoot Williams based on the several arguments he had that night.

In other testimony Thursday, Kansas Bureau of Investigation forensic scientists determined Anderson's DNA matched a swab taken from part of the grip of the revolver. Officers found the gun two miles west of Lawrence, and it has been matched with two bullets found near Anderson's body.

Anderson's attorneys have said he handled the gun before the night of the shooting because it was in his residence.

Discussion

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20 April 2007
at 5:04 a.m.

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Ragingbear (Anonymous) says…

Hmm. Wonder what type of book deals, plea deals, immunities and other perks were offered this woman?
20 April 2007
at 5:39 a.m.

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doc1 (Anonymous) says…

You have to love the loyalty in the Gansta Life. What a great defense by the way. PPPPhhhhhhhaaa ha ha
20 April 2007
at 8:21 a.m.

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Coach_Eric (Anonymous) says…

I don't think it gets more “open and shut” than this…
20 April 2007
at 9:23 a.m.

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Donny_Burgess (Anonymous) says…

At least he had a gun to protect himself in case there was a campus shooting.
20 April 2007
at 9:38 a.m.

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daddax98 (Anonymous) says…

what a piss poor defense strategy. If his lawyer was smart he would have tried to use self defense. Williams had a knife was highly adgitated and argumentative and came back to the front of the club with the intent (he could assert) to due harm to anderson. But instead the defense is “wasen't me”. He should just change his plea to not guilty by reason of stupidity
20 April 2007
at 9:40 a.m.

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srj (Anonymous) says…

Rashawn Anderson probally needs to confess and say it was self-defense. They do have video and witnesses saying the victim was yelling at the group. If you does not take the stand, he will be found guilty.

Manslaughter gets you out of jail someday, 1st degree murder dosen't.
20 April 2007
at 1:29 p.m.

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jackie (Anonymous) says…

not even close to self defense

20 April 2007
at 3:21 p.m.

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prioress (Anonymous) says…

Hmm. Wonder what type of book deals, plea deals, immunities and other perks were offered this woman?
========
Book deals aside, this is how our justice system works. There are other options. Example:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf…
20 April 2007
at 3:39 p.m.

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doc1 (Anonymous) says…

The only victim is the family and taxpayers. A thug got shot and a thug goes to prison. Two for one.