Live Updates From the Capitol Murder Trail of Former Bama Football Player Will Dickerson

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Posted by: Jon Carroll
Date: Jun 16 2015 12:58 PM

PHENIX CITY- RUSSELL COUNTY COURTHOUSE

LIVE COVERAGE OF DICKERSON TRIAL:

Witness sworn in Houston County Jail administrative Seargent Kim Turner BR- What kind of inmate phone system do you have? KT- I 5 I system its a system where each inmate has a custom number that is generated from the booking computer. BR- What do they use it? KT- They use it to call their families and their attorneys. BR- So a inmate has to punch in this number when they all out and does it record the conversations. KT- Yes. BR- Are you about to retrieve the conversations once they are recorded.' KT- Yes. BR- Is there a proper log that shows what a inmate comes in with. KT- Yes. (REEVES ENTERS EXHIBIT THE PROPERTY LOG FOR DICKERSON) Witness sworn in Sherry Contera BR- Where do u work? SC- I operate a bout 9 conv stores for Home Oil Company BR- Do u recall Morris coming to the Ariton HOBO pantry? SC- Yes. BR- Can you describe the video security system. SC- I have two outside and one where it shows people that come to the counter. BR- Would the cameras outside record any type of vehicle that pulls up and those inside at the counter. SC- yes. BR - did he show you a picture and try to identify who he was looking for and a description of the car? SC- Yes. BR- Did he see the car or person? SC- No. BR- What is a electronic journal report. SC- It records a heat signature of things BR- shows her a report (she identifies it as being pulled on 1/16/2012 and it was for 1/14/2012.) BR- Why did he want this? SC -it would show particular composition of what wa purchased the items and the time they were purchased. BR- how does the date of birth check work. SC- We require if they look under 30 we require the id . BR- Would it show up on here.? SC- Yes. BR Did Morris give you a particular number for a id he was looking for? SC- Yes BR- Did you find it? BR- No. T- you have a camera and video so where is that video. SC- No I don't have it. T- How long does the system hold the video. SC- 14-90 days T- Did Morris ever come back and want that? SC- No. T- You ever have someone come up and say give me a pack of gum and pay you for it and then add something to the ticket. Do they ever show up the same. and not be the actual item. SC- I was told to look specifically for a pack of newports. Only one came up at around 10 o'clock. T- Were you working that night? SC- No I dont pull shifts. T- did you personally know Willie Pugh? SC- No. T- Does your camera cover a 360 degree angle ? SC- No. But it covers the whole area where there is parking. T- Shows the aerial image of the store and asks her to point out the area of the store. Witness sworn in WESLTY INGRAM AKA "HEAD" BR- You have some prior felonies WI - yes drug stuff. BR- Do you sell drugs and did back in 2012? WI-Yes BR- Did u sell to Dickerson WI- No sir he didn't have any money. BR did you talk to him on the fri Pugh went missing. WI- Yes BR- Where? WI- On hwy 51 about 3 pm maybe but i dint sell to him because he didn't have any money Dickerson siad he wouldn't have any money until monday. I told him no. T- so you were in the drug business WI- Yes. T- U arena the drug business for a while. In all these years of selling drugs how many have tried to talk u out of drugs ? WI- a bunch WI- Fri I met him, Sat I had a phone call with him I didn't meet him. T- So you weren't there sat at all were you? WI- No didn't see him. T- so he tried to talk you out of drugs REEVES ON CROSS: BR- So weslty u never had a guy try get one over on you ask for free drugs and then not have money you refuse and then they come up with the cash. WI - Not sure. WI - Look he's a drug addict don't they T- OBJECTS , SUSTAINED, REEVES STOPS QUESTIONING. 2:40 PM REEVES REDIRECT OF SISTRUNK BR- Were you looking for a black bag or a body BS- A body BR- would you have noticed anything unusual about a black bag BS- No I was looking for a body CROSS BY TAYLOR T- Im I to uderstsnd you looked at pants in a trunk found blood looked in a center console and inspected red hot boxes but a bag of bloody clothing. BS- No. 2:12 PM SISTRUNK ON CROSS BY TAYLOR: T-where did you receive your law enforcement training? BS-northeast Alabama law enforcement academy for 9 weeks T-did ur training teach you to touch evidence before you photo it. BS-No. T-did u wear gloves? BS-No T-Why did you not do this if you were trained otherwise. BS-yes i was trained otherwise. T-how did you open it BS-no sir i dont believe keys were present i dont really call how i opened the trunk T-were the keys in the vehicle BS-no sir T-do u recall the red hot box? Bs-yes sir T-what was in it? BS-marijuana T-did you disturb that BS-yes sir i guess T-why did u remove the pants from the trunk? BS-to identify them T-had she (Pughs wife) identify them. T-so why did you take them out? BS-well i dont know T-do u know where the red hot box is today? BS-i have no idea sir T-who guarded the car? BS-Deputy Lonnie Adams T-did you see Ms McCloud remove them? BS-I dont recall. T-did you process the car? BS-no morris did. T-so did you look in the car and noted things you found? BS-yes T-did you remove anything else from the vehicle so you left the red hot box in the with drugs in it in the car? T-so did someone from the sheriffs dept stay with the vehicle the whole time. BS-yes sir T-who was on the scene? BS-chief, adams and I don't know. T-what are you duties as a deputy BS-patrol investigate T-where did you meet mccloud. BS-i met her on the highway near where the car was located. T-did u and her go to the car? BS-yes. T-did you recall a individual named Mr McCloud? BS-I dont recall there were several people present I did not know them. T-Did you look in the car and see anything beside what we have already spoke about. T-do u have copies of the report you made? BS-yes the narrative. T-Ok you saw the red hot box that has marijuana and it was in the center console. T-where was that? BS-I had to have opened the center console. T-did you verify that the purse was hers. BS-yes i opened it up and noticed money inside the purse. T-so u left the purse and red hot box in the car? T-where did u go? BS-to the house with mcCloud. T-How long did it take you to get there? BS- not sure maybe 15 - 20 min It was about 7 am T-Did u walk to Dickersons residence by foot or how. BS- I walked back and drove to Dickersons T- At that time deputy Lonnie Adams was there. BS-Yes T- Are u sure he was there at the vehicle? BS- Yes I am sure he was there. T- Did he ever come up to the trailer. BS- yes. T- Well then how could he be where the vehicle was? BS- Well maybe he could see it. T- Did you get another call, BS-yes it was near Louisville, about 15 min away. T- How long had you knocked on the door and the trailer? BS- About 15 min T- How much time did you spend looking thru this car? BS- maybe 30 min T- How long till you got back to the scene after leaving Louisville. BS- Maybe 30 min T- when you got back to Dickersons house is this where you talked to Dickerson and noticed the scratches. BS- I don't know it just looked like scrapes and scratches. T- Did you go in the house? BS- Yes. T- Who went with you? BS- Peterson and Chief Johnson BS- I went all through the house looking for a body T- You were looking for any indication for a body? BS- Did you look under the beds? T- Yes BS- if anything that looked suspicious would you have made a note of? T- If you found a bag of bloody clothing would you have noted it. BS- If it fell on my head yes. T- But your looking in house for a body and your telling me you did not look or notice that there was a bag of bloody clothing. BS- If it fell on me. I was looking for a body not a bag of bloody clothing. T- Did you secure the residence at that time? BS- Yes exception being Lonnie Adams who was watching the car so no one would mess with it. T- Introduces a photograph. so Sistrunk identifies the residence ** IN IMAGE ITS HARD TO SEE THE CAR FROM DICKERSON'S HOME*** BS- Chief Johnson testified that there was a crowd of people. T-Did you talk to anyone in that crowd to see if anyone saw anything. BS- I asked if anyone had seen anything or Pugh. BS- No. T- Did you search any of the trailers that ere near the car? BS- No we did not we only went to Dickerson's trailer. T- thats interesting, why not. BS- I don't know. T- Have you had any kind of courses or education in investigation? BS- No sir I have not. T- How long did it take for you to search the house. BS- Not sure maybe 15 min T- see anything suspicious like anything you needed to pull out or examine. BS- No sir. T- Did you see Morris enter the home. BS- No he told me to escort Dickerson to the Sheriffs dept. T- Did you have any kind of recording device when you spoke with Dickerson? BS- No. T- So these conversations you had with Dickerson are based only on your recollection? BS- Yes. T- Was there a deputy there named Gabriel Watkins BS- No, he is a reserve deputy and was driving a ambulance that day. JUDGE ORDERS 15 MIN BREAK 1:44 PM TAYLOR ON CROSS: BR-were you involved in deterring whether Dickerson had outstanding warrants. BS- No. I was told there were some. BR- Thats all

1:41 PM
REEVES ENTER IN PICS TAKNE BY SISTRUNK OF DICKERSONS BODY
Sistrunk identifies the photos.
Dickerson's attorneys object - overruled.
Images show various scratches some old er some appear newer over Dickerson's arms and torso.

1:18 PM
REEVES ON EXAMINATION OF WITNESS:
Deputy Blair Sistrunk is called to the stand and sworn in.
Currently a captain in the Macon county Sheriffs Dept.
He was there from 2010 - to recently as a sheriffs deputy.
Sistrunk identified when he came on shift how he responded to the call and identified who he spoke with which is Brittany McCloud, Pugh's common law wife.
Sistrunk has identified the car where he found it and the images and pointed out the proximity to the Dickerson home some 300-500 yards away.
BR- when you went to the vehicle did you look in it?
BS- yes after getting a consent to search she and I looked in vehicle.
Sistrunk identifies his signature.
BR- Tell us what you noticed.
BS- When I looked inside I found her purse, found the victims drivers license and in the trunk we found his pants and shoes. She conformed these were the past and shoes he (Pugh) was wearing last night.
BR- When you first saw them how were they, they were rolled up and on left side and shoes on top of them.
BS- I picked them up and played them out and asked was she sure, she said yes and on his pants it looked like blood and vomit on them.
BR- at some point that day you went up to the dickerson residence?
BS- yes but I did not initially go in to see if Pugh was there.
I knocked on door and announced I was Law enforcement.
BR- when you did this who all was doing this.
BS-the Clio Chief and Pughs wife came with me she identified the house.
BR- did you get a response?
BS- No
BR-did you leave the residence or get a call?
BS- yes.
BR- while on the call did you get a call
BS- yes Mccloud called me on my cell and told me Dickerson had come out of the trailer. and then i returned. when i walked out there there were several other peons there along with Chief Johnson.
when Dickerson came out I asked him to step away from the crowd to ask him if he had seen Pugh.
BR did you recall what he told you.
BS- Yes he told me he saw him the night before.
BR- did you ask him about the knocking on the door.
BS- he told me he was out of it he had been doing crack cocaine. I asked him about the scratches I observed on his hands and arms.
He said he got them a few days ago from his girlfriend.
BR- did you ask him about any particular scratches.
BS- he told me he had more and showed me on his torso and legs. I noticed the ones on his hand looked recent and asked him what happened.
He told me his dog had got him there.
BR- what happened then?
BS- The crowd was getting hostile and I put him in the back seat of the car. I told him I was not arresting him I was trying to protect him best I could.
BS- While this was going on did you try to get permission to go inside?
BS- Yes we were worried that Pugh might be inside hurt or incapacitated.
Chief Johnson called his mother and got a verbal consent.
BR- Did you go in
BS-Yes.
while you were in the residence did you find this? ( SHOWN PICTURE OF A STEAK KNIFE INA BATHROOM SINK)
BR- Was this in the bathroom sink?
BS- Yes.
BR- When you came out of the house did you have any other conversations with Dickerson.
BS- Yes he was in my car and he started knocking on the window. He said you were really nice to me so i want to tell you the truth about these scratches on me. I got them with the guy you are looking for last night when we were looking for a marijuana patch and our flashlight went out and I had to walk out of woods in the dark.
BR- How did David Morris get to the scene?
BS- I contacted dispatch and they called him to the scene.
BR-Did you cary him to the sheriffs dept. for a interview?
BS- Yes, I carried him there and put him in our conference room - break room.

12:57 pm Clio Police Chief Richard Johnson aka "Bo Diddly" is on the stand.
T- Is Clio a smlL TOWN PLEASE DESCRIBE.
RJ- Yes small, been in law enforcement since 1988.
T- What is your training in how to conduct a investigate into missing persons.
RJ- Im not sure really. I don't recall any training on missing persons.
T- We were just told a missing person out side of jurisdiction ( 7 miles) by a fellow officer. How far are those?
RJ- About 2 miles past city limits are our limits.
T- This home would have been outside your jurisdiction. How far?
RJ- Maybe 4 miles.
T- Pugh's brother (Kevin) called you directly.
RJ- He told me he was not answering his phone and he told me he was going to Will Dickersons house.
T- Did you call officer Kennedy?
RJ- I told him several members of the Pugh family called me and and said he's missing and they had seen his car behind Dickersons home.
I told Lightner (now deceased) and Officer Kennedy to go out there and check the house of Dickerson.
T- Did dispatch call him.
RK - No I called him.
T- Did you call the sheriffs dept and notify them you were going into their jurisdiction.
RJ- No.
T- is there a protocol for it.
RJ- Not necessarily depends what we are doing.
T- You went there the next morning when there was a crowd assembling.
How many were there?
RJ- 10 to start the number grew to 20.
T- Is this when you called Lt Peterson?
RJ- No I called him earlier in the morning.
T- were people knocking on the trailer ?
RJ- Yes they were trying to get him to answer the door.
T- This house is 4441 Hwy 51 and is there a club directly across the street?
RJ- Yes the Boom Boom Room.
T- Would they be open at 6 am?
RJ-No.
T- what else is around the area right there.
RJ- Houses and other trailers.
T- Anything that would be a area where people would congregate?
RJ- No.
T- did the people you saw there live there?
RJ- No.
T- Did the Pugh family live there?
RJ- No.
T- How many members of the Pugh family there?
RJ- Maybe 5
T-so they just appeared from 5 miles away?
RJ-Yes.
T- did u knock on the door?
RJ-Yes I heard someone bumping around inside.
T- You then received another call. 
RJ - Yes.
T- Did you leave anyone there?
RJ- I think Peterson was there.
T- When you came back to the residence how long were you gone?
RJ- 20 min
T- How long were you there before you got the call?
RJ- Maybe 20 min
T- You then came back correct?
RJ-Yes.
T- Is that when you tried to obtain permission from Mrs Dickerson to enter the trailer?
RJ-Yes.
T-Did you talk to Mrs Dickerson?
RJ-Yes
T- Did she own the trailer?
RJ-Yes
T- Did you obtain permission?
RJ-Yes.
T-Did you enter the trailer?
RJ- I walked in and called his name.
T- How many officers entered the house at that time
RJ- 3
T- Who?
RJ Me Peterson and Sistrunk.
T- You recall if Peterson or Sistunk go back to bedroom area.
RJ-Yes.
T- did you find anything that based on your training in law enforcement that indicated Pugh was in the home.
RJ- No.
T- What happened next?
RJ- I went out and stood around and waited for Inv Morris.
T- Did anyone leave scene?
RJ- Peterson went back to Clio.
T- Once Morris got to scene it was his correct?
RJ- Yes
T- to your recollection did your office have body cameras at that time or audio taping devices?
RJ- No.
T- You have that now?
RJ-Yes.

REDIRECT BY REEVES:
None. Chief Johnson exits courtroom.

BREAK FOR LUNCH
****During break in trial if Jon Taylor's opening statements are proven true then Barbour county Sheriff Leroy Upshaw is involved in purposely losing evidence or destroying evidence that could clear Will Dickerson. The defense and Dickersons supporters are requesting the FBI determine why this was done in violation of all standard law enforcement procedures. Bakerhill mayor and Deputy Grubbs is implicated and is rumored to be on a video surveillance camera collecting physical evidence tied to Pugh's body and eyewitness testimony on Sutton Dairy road that later disappeared from the sheriff's dept. The district attorney was unaware of this. Reportedly a FBI sure camera was used by a investigator to record Grubbs taking the statement and bagging and collecting the evidence. The sheriffs dept is on record previously denying any such evidence exists and any record of it had been denied. BIG PROBLEM FOR LEROY UPSHAW IF THE VIDEO SURV TAPES IS AUTHENTICATED.

10:49 am TAYLOR (Dickersons attorney) OPENING STATEMENT-
T urges the jury to look deeply into the facts of all the evidence and not consider it just at the surface level. The prosecutor has the burden of proof here. Do not listen to what Reeves says the law is only the judge. Taylor expects the evidence will show that Dickerson is innocent. The trial and evidence has several locations involved. You will see photos from every location and see even very compelling photos made by David Morris himself in the Dickerson home.
Where the car was found was 500 yards away. Nearly 7 other dwellings are between Dickersons home and Pughs car. None f these were searched strangely. We expect the vid will show when deputy Sistrunk shows up there were actually several other officers present, Lonnie Adams, and Clio Police officer and former sheriff candidate Pete Peterson along with officer lighter searched the home. The prosecutor coveintly forgot to tell you this. So now we have three officer who searched the home. Peterson being the most highly qualified officer in the county. Then after this Morris searched the house again. ll of the areas of the house was carefully photographed. Morris searched it for over a hour and half. All looking to see any evidence in the house of Pugh being hurt or abducted.
None was found, they even looked under beds. And in the photos, you will see none. The house remained open for ten days after that search.
The knife Reeves spoke of is part of matching set and there was no blood DNA of any kind found on it other than from food.
There will be a lot of info about DNA brought out in this trial.
The prosecutor has a big problem in the fact that the scratches that were on Dickerson occurred before Pugh went missing. Why is that important? Because Reeves thinks its evidence of guilt even though it makes no sense. Why did Dickerson make inconsistent statements - well he had been on crack cocaine fro days. I urge you to pay very close attention anything Reeves shows you especially the photos that are of the scene.
Understand that while Dickerson was in custody her never went back to his home. Once he left with Sistrunk he never retuned.
Even more strange is the fact that Pughs body was found in a area where it was thoroughly searched. How is that possible?
Reeves does not want you to know that the body wa snot there during the search. Further you will hear that the sheriff blocked the bath rugs the body was wrapped in for DNA. Why ?
Your also going to learn that evidence - drugs, ammunition and various objects that would be excellent for finger prints -was taken into the sheriffs department that mysteriously disappeared once in Upshaws custody. Further we have photos of them.
Your going to hear that Upshaw also blocked the car itself from being fingerprinted. All of this violates standard investigative procedures.
Then we have days later after the house burned a situation where Jon Thomas and Lt David Morris entering the house and they miraculously find a bag of evidence that previous photos prove was not there. In fact to take the photos made a week earlier they would have had to be standing on the bag and somehow not notice it. Thats impossible.
Your going to lear the district attorney and the sheriff did everything in their power to block Dickerson and the Pugh family from learning about this.
Interestingly one glove in the bag had dna from both parties - Pugh and Dickerson in it. Then your going to learn that when they collected this they put it all in the same bag so cross contamination could occur.
So not only was the bag not there in the first place, when they found it they violated the rules of evidence collection. How is this possible?
Then we are going to learn about the luminol.
The problem with Jon Thomas's statements about luminol is for the blood not to be seen with the ey it implies the surface had to be cleaned. Your going to see photos that prove that did not happen. When we press Thomas for photos of the luminol results which is standard procedure your going to learn they ...lost them. All very strange.
All these statements made by Dickerson, according to Morris and Sistrunk, not one is recorded in fact the whole interrogation tapes of Dickerson are mysteriously missing.
I just ask you pay close attention to all of this.

****Now after this the jurors are looking at Dickerson for the first time***

Then we are going to look at phone records. Alarmingly we are going to learn that Willie Pughs cell phone had a five min conversation on it after Dickerson was in jail. Who had Willie Pughs phone? and btw it was never found.
Also you will learn that when the car was recovered Pughs girlfriends purse was found with a substantial amount of money at the top of the purse in plain view, If you were going to rob Pugh then why not take the money. The state has alleged robbery occurred and I am telling the state has zero evidence of any kind that a robbery occurred.
This is not a simple case. Its not as Reeves described it to you. The evidence leads you to very disturbing questions. Your job is to look carefully and objectively at all the evidence.
At the end of this trial Im going to ask you to vote your conscience.
**Taylor was very effective and as jurors leave courtroom many look at Dickerson unlike before**

10 MIn RECESS
Reeves without any doubt had a compelling opening statement to the jurors, as they exited and walked by the defense table not a single one of them would even look at Will Dickerson.

10:30 REEVES OPENING STATEMENT CONCLUSION- Reeves says the reason he wanted the house burned is because what was in it. Towels and gloves with the victims blood on it. He said this case is simple and there are no eyewitnesses no confession but the basic proof is we have a call where once Dickerson knows they recovered the body he acts to burn the house and in the house is the evidence that proves he killed Pugh. There will be only one vote you can make after seeing all this, a vote of guilty for capital murder.

10:10 REEVES OPENING STATEMENT CONT. Several weeks later Jon Thomas in Dothan examines the blanket wrapping Pugh's body was in in a parking lot. In the duct tape he discovers a latex glove tip that appears to match the gloves found in Dickerson's bedroom at the time of the fire. The glove tip appears to have a fingerprint in it where it was pressed into the duct tape. He sends this to the Alabama Dept of Forensic science. The ALDept Forensic Science determines that Willie Pugh's blood DNA is in the towels found in Dickerson's bedroom. On one of the gloves found in the bag they determined that one of the gloves has Pugh's DNA and Dickerson's DNA in it.
In the glove tip recovered from Pugh's body they determine that DNA was found that match Will Dickersons.
Reeves says the DNA says what you need to know.
Lt Morris, Reeves said, kept a watch on what Dickerson was saying in the Houston county jail and noticed that on the 18th Dickerson was recorded on the inmate phone system , Dickerson and his sister Kim talked on Jan 20 2012 that he tells his mother that story number 4 about the scratches all over his body.
He claims he was attacked by a wild animal like a cougar or panther and he wrestled with it for 30 min. He claims he used his pocket knife to defend himself and stabbed it over 200 times. Then on Jan 25 he says that at 4:11 pm he is is on phone with his mother and finds out about Pugh's body being found.
"they done found that boy" Dickerson says "uh uhh" aNd she tells him where they found him. Dickerson did not ask anything. He did not ask if he was ok, what is condition was or anything. 8 min later Dickerson calls back and asked his sister THAT IF SHE EVER WANTS TO SEE HIM AGAIN SHE HAS TO DO WHAT HE SAYS. He then says do u remember the old home house and do u remember what Rodney did, Kim says un hunnh, and Dickerson says if you do not do this you will never see him again. if you can't do this Im gone. Kim says
she does not understand ad he says the same thing again. He says he can't say it on the phone because its being recorded. She eventually says she got it and he tells her to start in his bedroom and it has to be complete and tells her to park near the old green place. and do it from the outside. there is stuff out there. Later Reeves says a gas can was found outside. Kim agrees to do it. Kim asked why are they not going to let him out. Dickerson says because this other thing just came up. You cannot tell momma, if you don't do this baby girl you will never see me again. If you can't do this thing then its adios for me. One hour later he calls back and asked are you going to be able to take care of it. Kim says she is in the process of taking acre of it. She says she is getting dressed and taking off and mentions to her not to worry about the dog thats there.
Dickerson says if this is not handled then its over.

10:06 am REEEVS OPENING STATEMENT- he is pointing out that all members of the Willie Pugh family are present. BR says they want justice and this is why we are here.
Reeves claims Brittany, Pugh's wife and him went to Clayton to pick up groceries.Law enforcement has revealed this was to pick up several cookies of crack valued at nearly 10k. Upon returning to Clio they went to Enterprise for lunch. After lunch Pugh left his wife at her sisters house and then left to "do his thing". She called him one last time about something she left in the car. this was 6:51 on Jan 14th.
A hour later his brother called her as he could not get a answer from him which was unusual. She could not get him to answer, she got others to start calling him. He never answers.
A deputy has previously stated that they witnessed several men, some drug dealers in the yard arguing at Dickerson's home. One police officer Jerome Johnson a Clio police officer. Two were prominent drug dealers. All witnessed arguing with Dickerson. Reeves has worked to suppress that information and Sheriff Leroy Upshaw threatened the former deputy.
Reeves maintains that Pugh's car was pulled behind Dickerson's house when they went looking for him. Pugh's wife went to Clio and spoke to Officer Rickey Kennedy, he and a officer named Kenneth "Rock" Lightener to Dickerson's house and knocked on door. Pugh's car was not seen at the time. No one answered the door. Dickerson's home was four miles outside the Clio jurisdiction btw.
Pugh's wife went back to Dickerson's house again and then they notice that Pughs car is about 500 yards away from Dickerson's away fro Dickerson's home behind Westly Slater's trailer. In the trunk of the car they fund Pughs clothes and they notice blood on his pants. She calls 911. Barbour co sheriff deputy Blair Sistrunk responds and arrives at 2:30 am. He inspects the car and takes there story.
Sistrunk knocks on Dickersons door for 15 min and windows and cannot get anyone to answer. Sistrunk gets a 911 call and has to leave seen. Pugh's wife calls him and tells him Dickerson just came out of house, Sistrunk returns to scene and asks Dickerson have he seen Pugh and notices scratches on his body and asked why are these scratches on him. Dickerson's first answer is his girlfriend did them the night before.In his hand there are what appears to be fresh scratches and blood. He says these came from his dog.
A crowd starts gathering of Pugh's relatives and wanting to know where Pugh is. Sistrunk placed him in his car to protect him from the car.
8:35 Jury has entered room and is seated. The judge has instructed them what their purpose is quoting how was instructed in law school over 50 years ago. He has told them their primary purpose is to search for the truth. He is outlining how a murder case takes place with each part of it. The burden of proof is on the state he has said and that burden must be met without question. The jury has two white members , both women, three black men and the rest black women. District attorney Reeves yesterday challenged every black potential juror he could from the jury pool.
In Crawford Alabama he says we have horse sense, just plain old working around sense. If you follow this he promises there will be a good proper verdict and each juror will have done the right thing.
At this point Reeves maintains they have permission to enter trailer including deputy Sistrunk and do " a basic sweep of the home" and do not see any evidence of a crime. Dickerson then knocks on the window and tells Sistrunk a different story about how he got the scratches. He claims he got them with Willie Pugh the nigh before while looking for a marijuana patch that a local guy named Dallas owns.
At this point Lt David Morris arrived. Morris is now deceased. Reeves says you will read his transcript and took over scene. Morris is showed clothes that are bloody and he takes them into evidence of a potential crime.
Morris then obtained a second consent to search from Suzi Dickerson and he goes in the home and conducts a search and finds a steak knife in a bathroom and find jeans and a bloody sock near bed in Dickerson's bedroom. He also noticed a box of latex gloves and black trash bags. They seemed to be out of place. He said he did not have as much time as he needed and Sheriff Upshaw calls him off the potential crime scene to come to the jail to interview Willie Dickerson as Sistrunk has transported him there.
While at jail they confirm he has outstanding warrants on him and transport him to Houston county. Dickerson admits to smoking weed and crack with Pugh when he was interrogated. Morris the next day goes to the Ariton Hobo pantry and looks at the video from the night before. Dickerson had stated he and Pugh went there the night before to buy cigars. Morris says the video never saw Dickerson or Pugh on video.
A search ensued for ten days and Pugh was not located. Two days later an investigator Scott Moss found the body on Sutton dairy road wrapped in a black trash bag and a green towel all duct taped together. The body was transported t o a morgue in Dale co and sent to Montgomery for a autopsy the next day.
Jon Thomas a officer from Houston county and Lt David Morris attended the autopsy. Multiple lacerations and stabs , broken jaw and multiple blunt force trauma to head caused death. Two different types of knives were used , a jagged edge and a smooth edge. In the wrappings of the body was a blue fleece blanket. Thomas collect these and brought them to Dothan. No one at the time noticed a glove tip. Weeks later they discovered a latex glove tip.
On the evening of the autopsy a 911 call came out that a house fire was in progress at the Dickerson home. Lt Morris and Jon Thomas both respond and arrive at the scene. Firefighters put out the fire and the state fire marshal determined it looked like arson.
Morris obtained a search warrant from Judge Matt Horne. The next morning they enter the residence and carefully examine the home along with the state fire marshall. State fire marshall determined there was a liquid pour pattern of gasoline and the utility room was a point of origin and he determined it was intentionally set on fire. Thomas noticed a pile of clothing near the edge of the bed on the floor. The cloths were in a black bag and in the bag there was a white ankle sock and black ankle sock. All covered with blood. 4 bath towels and 9 used latex gloves. Burn cig pack and a writing pen that had the name of Dickerson's business on it. Thomas took swabs of what looked like blood from a chair and a pain bench. He also used luminal to check area for blood. The chemical reveals blood if it has been cleaned, He saw blood had been in bath tub and in sink.

8:20 Judge rules in Dickerson's favor last three motions
8:15 Morris's testimony of what he observed on the Ariton Hobo Pantry's security video is going to be allowed in. Morris watched the video and did not see Wille Pugh enter the store the night he went missing. This contradicts Dickerson's story that night.
8:10 Judge is allowing Sistrunk's question of " where did you get those scratches". Judges understanding of Miranda there has to be a arrest or interrogation taking place. Dickerson had the right to refuse but he did not.

8:am Taylor, Dickersons attorney is arguing on a motion that Deputy Blair Sistrunk detained Dickerson without Mirandizing him and argues the court should exclude any statements Dickerson first made.
Key issue being a discussion of scratches on his body. Reeves maintains Sistrunk did not solicit statement. Accuses Dickerson of lying to the officer.
Sistrunk asked how he got scratches on his hand. The scratches have been proved medically to have occurred prior to the hour of Pughs disappearance.
The Pugh family is in the courtroom sitting behind the district attorney. Mrs Pugh has been staring at Dickerson non stop since court began. Kevin Pugh, the victims brother has previously stated a local businessman threatens his brothers life one week prior to his death.

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