Michael Shane Richardson bought and used crack cocaine on the day he is accused of killing a Lowndes County man with a baseball bat, prosecution witnesses testified in Richardson”s capital murder trial Wednesday.
Testimony in the case began Wednesday afternoon, with prosecution witnesses testifying Richardson spent most of the day in 2006 buying crack cocaine for himself and friends.
Richardson, 30, of 126 Matson Road, admitted to the 2006 baseball-bat hitting and robbery of 57-year-old Harvey J. Evans.
Authorities report Evans died in January 2007 from injuries sustained from Richardson”s Sept. 19, 2006 baseball bat blow to the head.
The trial was scheduled to resume today with additional testimony from the state”s witnesses.
The trial is being held in the main courtroom of the Lowndes County Courthouse with 16th Circuit Judge James Kitchens presiding. A jury was seated after 1 p.m. Wednesday, after more than a day of jury selection.
Serving as Richardson”s defense attorney is Andrew DeGrey; Rhonda Hayes-Ellis is prosecuting the case for the state.
Hayes-Ellis questioned Sarah Gibson of Columbus, who was with Richardson on Sept. 19.
“How long have you known Michael Richardson?” Hayes-Ellis asked.
“I have known him since I was 18, 19, and I”m 25 now. So it”s been about six years,” Gibson said.
Hayes-Ellis asked Gibson if she could identify Richardson, and she pointed to him sitting at the defense table with DeGrey and Steve Wallace.
“That is him, wearing a blue shirt,” she said.
Hayes-Ellis asked Gibson if she ever met Evans.
“A couple of times,” was her reply.
Richardson turned himself in the day after the incident and confessed to Lowndes County sheriff”s investigators he robbed Evans at his 122 Matson Road home and hit him with a baseball bat.
Gibson testified that the events of the day consisted of Richardson purchasing cocaine from an unknown person and that she and Richardson, along with Arthur Price and McKensie Barham all took part in smoking it.
Gibson said she received a disability check due to schizophrenia, and that Richardson also received a disability check, but did specify what it was for. On Sept. 19, 2006, she said Richardson had money to buy the cocaine.
“It was unusual for him to have a lot of money, but he bought the cocaine,” she said.
DeGrey cross-examined Gibson, asking her about the comment she made about it being unusual for Richardson to have a lot of money on him. He asked if she knew a Kenny Jones; she had met him at Al Tate”s place.
Other witnesses the state called included Price and Barham. Both testified they were with Richardson and using drugs on Sept. 19.
Terry Dentry, a detective with the Columbus Police Department, also was called by the state. He testified he received a call from 911 that a person was supposed to meet him at Ray”s Service Station Highway 50 East and Gardner Boulevard to turn himself in.
“Who was this person?” Hayes-Ellis asked.
“Michael Richardson,” Dentry replied as he pointed to him.
He said he placed Richardson in handcuffs and kept him until deputies with the Lowndes County Sheriff”s Department came picked him up.
Kitchens called for a recess at 4:30 p.m.
Allen Baswell was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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