The scarf across the mouth and nose is a great disguise if no one knows you, but if you're known to the witnesses, it's no disguise at all. Try it with friends and family and see if any of them are fooled.
Witnesses testified Monday that they watched in disbelief as a 15-year-old shot a man during a robbery.
Antoine M. Thaxton, now 18, has pleaded not guilty in Richmond County Superior Court to charges of murder and armed robbery.
Mr. Thaxton, whose trial began Monday, is accused of causing the June 9, 2006, death of 33-year-old Jason Harrington. The victim died less than two weeks after being shot in the chest.
Karen Lindsay testified that she was saying goodbye to Mr. Harrington at the front door of her Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard apartment about 6 a.m. on May 28, 2006, when she saw Mr. Thaxton run up with a gun in his hand.
"We were just stunned," she testified. Before Mr. Harrington had a chance to react, Mr. Thaxton shot him, Ms. Lindsay testified.
A woman who lives across from Ms. Lindsay testified that she had stepped out to get some fresh air that morning when she saw Mr. Thaxton near her door. He was pulling a mask or bandana over his face. She asked what he was doing but got no response, Liza Davis testified. She watched as Mr. Thaxton ran toward the victim with the gun.
Like Ms. Lindsay, Ms. Davis testified that she knew Mr. Thaxton from the neighborhood. Both women testified that they had no doubt he was the shooter.
Defense attorney Alexia Davis of the public defender's office questioned both women's ability to identify someone with a mask covering the lower part of his face. Both women admitted that they had ingested illegal drugs within hours of the shooting. Both had prior drug convictions.
Mr. Thaxton was arrested in North Carolina two days after Mr. Harrington died.
Testimony continues today.
Reach Sandy Hodson at (706) 823-3226 or sandy.hodson@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
The scarf across the mouth and nose is a great disguise if no one knows you, but if you're known to the witnesses, it's no disguise at all. Try it with friends and family and see if any of them are fooled.
At least the thug has "street cred" now
If he is found guilty, he needs to be put down just as we do to other rabid animals.
And why would he have been all the way in NC if it wasnt him just two days later. Sounds like a criminal on the run.
Hmm let's see in public housing and using drugs, go figure. I am shocked!!!
Ok If I see someone pulling a mask over their face in May when it is warm outside and near my door, I would probably CALL THE COPS instead of asking them what they are doing and then watching the action. She must have though she was watching an episode of Law and Order, Criminal Intent or something.
I wish "common sense" could play a part in criminal investiigations.
AugustaVoter, this sounds like it happened in a matter of seconds. I would like to think that my reaction would have been the same as her's. I don't think I would have gotten up at 6 a.m. just for some fresh air though.
Stop the violence. Test for drugs
..."stepped out to get some fresh air that morning" Yeah, I'm sure a lot of crackheads go outside to get fresh air at 6am.
They are up at 6 am doing drugs but can't get up and get a job.....They were looking outside because they were paranoid.
Where did it say this happened in public housing? BTW... What difference should it make if someone was outside at 6am? The point is that a murderer was positively identified, Right?
"Antoine" is a code for ghetto thug.
I am glad he is off of the street as well. cparker, this is for your reading enjoyment.."Both women admitted that they had ingested illegal drugs within hours of the shooting. Both had prior drug convictions."
You can take them out of the porject but you cannot take the project out of them. This is a sad situation involving a bunch of riff raff.
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