The Trial: Second Wind

Real Life was weird around this time. Every day I walked out of the madness and mayhem and into school conferences, paying the rent, doing my job. It was like leaving a movie. It stuck with me, coloring my view on the day to day shit coming at me. My company had a bowling party one Saturday and I enjoyed the chance to get away from it all, drink some beers and knock over a few pins. One of my buddies had a friend with him. The dude heard that I was on the Freeway Shooter jury and came over to me. "Hey that's cool, man. Guy had a Desert Eagle, right? I heard that he..." "Hey!", I said, "I'm not supposed to talk about the trial. I'd be in deep shit if I did." He tried to just wave it off, like hey, nobody will know, but that just wasn't my style.

My journal from 1993 continues...

2/17/93 (One day after my birthday)

Today Mr. Burr concluded the case for the prosecution. We have heard from many witnesses concerning each individual scene, and here are my opinions so far:

-Leslie Noyer

From the taped statement it is obvious to me that Richard Clark murdered the woman. He admits to it directly, with no more emotion than he might display describing throwing out the garbage. I am appalled and angry at him for this act, though I will listen with whatever objectivity I can muster to his attorney, the ever-smiling Mr. Zimmer. Charles Stevens left a palm print on the RX7 found at the scene, and of course the Desert Eagle is his. No witnesses have been called to place him there, though Mr. Burr continues to imply his presence through photographs and testimony showing the proximity of Stevens' apartment house to the scene of the shooting.

The taped statement from Clark mentions a black prostitute (who) performed oral sex on him, but I suppose she hasn't been found or whatever. There is also the question of who Mario is, the mystery man in or not in the car around the night of the Stokes and August incident. But I get ahead of myself...

-Anderson/Lee

Eight casings found at the scene are positively matched to the Desert Eagle Exhibit #40 by ballistics criminologist Lansing Lee. The scene is just a couple of hundred yards from Stevens' apartment. Jenelle Lee gives a partial identification of Stevens himself, though she only sees him for a second or two before he starts firing. These were two lucky ladies.

-Loquan Sloan

As I have said, the boy was quite simply executed. The casings (3) at the scene are positively identified as coming from the Desert Eagle. This scene is the farthest West from Stevens' home, though it has been stated that the trip between them is only five minutes or so...I believe firmly at this point that this murder qualifies as one involving special circumstances, unless the defense admits to the responsibility and builds a case around the actual nature of the shooting. It won't be easy to change my mind right now.

-Fenn/Peters

This shooting scene bears all of the same method that is described by Stokes. There really isn't enough physical evidence to say with absolute certainty that Stevens did the shooting. Thing is, though, that just minutes later, after the "white sedan" in the Fenn/Peters (shooting) turns left on Pearl from Harrison...

-Upendra DaSilva

...is assaulted on Oakland Avenue, not far from the intersection with Santa Clara. That's a straight shot down to Jean Street. The casing found at the scene came from the infamous Desert Eagle. There are also the slugs and copper jackets which have become so familiar to me now.

-Lori Rochon

No casings found, but the slug that tore through that poor woman's body was quite well intact enough to be linked to a .357, polygonal, right-wound weapon; only the Desert Eagle fits that set of characteristics.The scene of the killing is within easy reach of Stevens' home, and no other murder or shooting has occurred using that type of weaponry or ammunition since. (Stevens was apprehended) The DA made a point, initially contested by Selvin, of telling us that nobody had offered any evidence since then leading to any other suspect, even though a reward had been offered.

-Rodney Stokes (and Raymond August)

No doubt about it, this is the most damning evidence against Stevens. We listened to his testimony for over two hours today, and his memory is impeccable. He remembers every detail with clarity, and identified Stevens positively in court and at the scene. He was a man involved in extraordinary and terrible circumstances, and he came through it with guts and courage.

(We discovered later that he had also been threatened with death if he testified by some of Stevens' lowlife friends)

He saw Raymond August murdered by Stevens; the physical evidence is clear in implicating the man. I have no doubt that Stevens should be severely punished for this crime. I will ponder just how far this severity needs to be carried.

The search of Stevens' home shows all the classic symptoms of the serial killer as seen on TV. Newspapers recounting each of the shootings, the cardboard wrapping for a dent-puller used to strip RX7 ignitions, all of the paraphernalia for the Desert Eagle, identical ammunition to that found at most of the crime scenes, some unidentified (though obviously important) 3x5 photos. The defense has so far laid down a patchwork plan, though I'm sure that will flesh out. Mr. Selvin has tried to cloud some inconsequential issues, though one stands out slightly. Technically speaking, the bolt from the Stevens Desert Eagle could be removed and used in another identical weapon, leaving the same identifying marks on the casings.

The probability or possibility that this happened is slim enough in my mind as to be out of the question. The gun is rare enough, much less would somebody ask to use the firing bolt alone, in exchange for what(?).

A brief word about Selvin and Zimmer. I am frankly not impressed. From the beginning they have seemed ineffectual, capricious, only semi-serious. Their questions have been without much point, except to interrupt. They asked me stupid questions while the jury interviews were going on, and they have asked frivolous questions about whether people have been to bakeries or whatever. I get the feeling that most, if not all of the jury had no respect for these two fellows. They'll have a lot of ground to make up with us before they're back even with Mr. Burr. He is self-assured and confident, with a businesslike manner. I have been impressed with his presentation.

On Monday, Part II of this act begins. Hold on tight...