Testimony Resumes In Hadiya Pendleton Murder Trial
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A day after extremely emotional accounts of the 2013 slaying of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, testimony resumes Wednesday in the trial of two men charged with her murder.
Pendleton was gunned down just days after performing as a drum majorette at President Barack Obama's second inaugural. She was taking shelter from the rain with friends at a park just blocks from the Obama family home, when Micheail Ward and Kenneth Williams allegedly mistook the group for rival gang members.
Another dramatic day of testimony is expected at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, a day after one of Hadiya's friends described the shooting to the jury, and prosecutors showed jurors a video showing Pendleton and her friends fleeing gunfire. The video showed Hadiya collapsing after she was shot in the back.
In an unusual move, the identities of the first witnesses taking the stand on Wednesday were being kept quiet, and their faces were not being shown to protect their own safety.
Prosecutors have accused Ward of pulling the trigger and Williams of driving the getaway car. Ward faces up to life in prison and Williams faces up to 75 years behind bars if they are convicted.
Two different juries will decide the Ward's and Williams' fates, due to competing defenses.
Both defense attorneys have stressed a lack of physical evidence or surveillance video tying the defendants to the shooting.
Hadiya's murder drew national headlines because she had performed at Obama's second inauguration festivities eight days before she was killed. First lady Michelle Obama attended her funeral, and President Obama mentioned Hadiya in his State of the Union address.