Details surrounding the death of Christopher Cole emerged Tuesday as the three eyewitnesses to his shooting testified at Leslie Sharp”s murder trial.
Nicole Transchina, Kayla Huffman and Alissandra Inzunza were in the car with Leslie Sharp on Nov. 10, 2008, the day she shot and killed Cole on Kelly Road in Oktibbeha County. The three women were called as witnesses for the prosecution and all used the term “murder” in describing Cole”s death. Sharp says the shooting was self-defense.
Sharp, Transchina and Inzunza, Cole”s girlfriend at the time, were “close” friends prior to the day of Cole”s death. Huffman was a “close” childhood friend of Cole who had dated him years prior.
The stage for the confrontation was set in the prior days and weeks when Cole expressed renewed romantic interest in Huffman. When word of Cole”s interest in Huffman reached Inzunza, the two spoke and decided to meet and approach Cole so he could see them together.
“We wanted him to see us together to see that he was caught in a lie,” testified Huffman.
Inzunza and Huffman said their plans didn”t necessarily include confronting Cole.
On the day of Cole”s death, Huffman picked Inzunza up at Starkville High School, where she was a student, and the two drove to the home of Joseph Turnipseed, Cole”s friend, on Kelly Road, where Cole frequently went after work. Cole was not at Turnipseed”s house so the women left, telling Turnipseed they would return.
Inzunza directed Huffman to the home of Transchina”s mother, where Transchina and Sharp were filling out job applications. Inzunza informed Transchina and Sharp of recent events and it was decided all four would ride out to Turnipseed”s house together since Transchina and Sharp “had nothing better to do.” Sharp”s attorneys said during opening statements that Sharp was reluctant to join the trip but was coerced by her friends.
The three witnesses denied they had to convince Sharp to join the trip.
All three witnesses stated that, before leaving Transchina”s mother”s home, Sharp stated she had to retrieve something from her car, which later turned out to be a Smith & Wesson 9 mm semi-automatic pistol.
Throughout the evening, Huffman had been in contact with Cole through text messages in the presence of Inzunza. Huffman feigned interest in a romantic relationship with Cole as she and Inzunza loosely planned their encounter with Cole.
On the way out to Kelly Road, shortly before 7 p.m., the witnesses testified the mood in the car was jubilant. Huffman drove her car and the women sang and danced to “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper. But each witness claimed Sharp was quiet and reserved during the trip.
Upon arriving at Turnipseed”s house on Kelly Road, the witnesses saw Cole standing in the front yard. He got into his Ford Ranger pickup and began to leave as the four women, in Huffman”s Chevrolet Malibu, turned around at the end of the dead-end street.
Cole lingered when he pulled to the stop sign at Rock Hill Road. Inzunza exited the car and sat in Cole”s truck for a short period and the two argued. When Inzunza returned to Huffman”s car, which was directly behind Cole”s truck at the stop sign, she said she was upset but pretended to laugh at Cole”s anger.
Cole then exited his vehicle and approached Huffman in the driver seat of the Malibu. After exchanging angry words with Huffman and cursing all of the women, Transchina claimed she saw Cole put his hand in the air and fire a shot from a gun before turning to walk back to his truck. Huffman did not see the gun initially but said she saw Cole”s pistol when he walked toward his truck.
Inzunza never saw a gun in Cole”s hand. All three witnesses stated they never felt threatened by Cole.
The witnesses” stories diverged regarding what happened next. Transchina said Cole walked most of the distance back to his truck with a gun in his hand and his back to the car, but never said he was pointing his gun at the car. Huffman said Cole walked at an angle, pointing his gun at the car. Inzunza didn”t recall a first shot from Cole, only Sharp exiting from the rear driver side of the vehicle and firing.
The witnesses agree Sharp said something along the lines of “You don”t talk to girls like that,” before firing on Cole, who was facing away from the car.
The prosecution entered into evidence a .32 caliber revolver with one spent shell and four presumably misfired live rounds with dented primers and a 9 mm semi-automatic, with six live rounds and 10 shell casings. Authorities say seven shots hit Cole, one in the lower back, two in the chest, two in the shoulder, one in the right arm and one in the right leg. However, forensic evidence regarding entry and exit wounds was not provided Tuesday.
Cole fell onto his face near the front tire of Huffman”s car, although the exact orientation of his body was not discussed. Huffman told Sharp, who was standing outside the car, to move so she could back up and put her headlights on Cole”s body. The three witnesses then exited the car and several, including Sharp, called 911.
On advice from the 911 dispatcher, the witnesses began using clothing and towels to provide pressure to Cole”s wounds. Inzunza said she offered a towel to Sharp and asked her to help, but Sharp replied she “couldn”t do it” and moved away.
Oktibbeha County Sheriff”s deputies and paramedics soon arrived on the scene. The first deputy to arrive, John Davis, secured the guns and placed Sharp in the back seat of his patrol car after asking who shot Cole. At that point, he said Cole”s eyes had dilated, his skin was cold and he had a very faint or no pulse.
The OCSO worked the scene initially but turned the investigation over to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation because Sharp is the daughter of a OCSO deputy.
Sharp”s attorney, Jack Brown, who also represents the County Board of Supervisors, focused the majority of his cross examination questions on changes the witnesses made to their sworn statements months after making their original statements to sheriff”s deputies and their friendship since Nov. 10, 2008. He also meticulously reviewed text messages between Huffman and Cole on the day of the incident, asking Huffman if she remembered each message sent or received.
In addition to the eye witnesses and Davis, the prosecution called OCSO investigator Mahyar Netadj and crime scene analyst Claire Nethery of the MBI to describe the scene of the incident.
Testimony was scheduled to continue today.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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