Jury Hears Defendant's Interview With Police In Penn Hills Murder Trial
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The jury in the trial of a man accused in a 2012 double murder in Penn Hills saw the letters in court on Friday that the defendant sent to a key witness.
They also heard what the defendant told police about the shooting.
Prosecutors showed the jury letters sent from Andre Davis, the defendant, to Andre Frazier, the only gunshot victim who survived.
One letter read: "I need you there to tell the jury that I didn't shoot you… and I can beat this."
Frazier was a reluctant witness Thursday.
Davis may have been trying to counter what he told police in a taped statement about Frazier allegedly verbally disrespecting him at an apartment in Penn Hills.
The tape includes this exchange:
Detective: "And how did that make you feel?"
Davis: "Um, crazy. I felt like I wasn't even myself. I'm crazy."
Detective: "Okay."
Davis: "It was instant. It took me about a half second to snap."
Detective: "Okay, and once - as you described - snapped, what happened then?"
Davis: "I shot him."
Detective: Okay. What did you shoot him with?"
Davis: "A 9."
Detective: "And what does this 9 look like?"
Davis: "It's all black, high point."
Detective: "High point? And how many times would you have fired, and did you strike Dre?"
Davis: "No more than twice."
Frazier survived, but Angela Proctor and her son, Manning Proctor, who lived in the building where it happened, were killed.
Claiming to look for another person who accompanied him to the apartment, here's what Davis told police about their shooting not long after Frazier was shot:
Davis: "I ran to go look for Valdez cause I didn't know what I was doing, and that's the not thing that came in my mind is where... where's he at. So, I ran to go look for him, and as I'm running – well, not even running - you know what I'm saying. I just went to Manning's room and I just see two people charging at me, and I don't know what they got or what's about to happen to me, so I just start shooting and I don't even remember, for real, like I told you. I blacked out for real when it was happening."
Detective: "Okay."
Davis: "I couldn't even really see, like I don't know."
Detective: "Okay, but you did say that two people rushed you."
Davis: "Uh huh."
Detective: "And you did fire the weapon?"
Davis: "Uh huh."
Detective: "Who were the two people that you know we're running, rushing you?"
Davis: "At the time, I didn't know it was anybody from the house or anything. I just, you know what I'm saying… when it was over, like, and I came down from … got back to my senses, I seen that it was Miss Angie and Manning, I guess Manning."
The trial resumes Tuesday morning, and the jury is expected to begin deliberations by Tuesday afternoon.
RELATED LINKS:
Jury In Penn Hills Murder Trial Hears 911 Call (2/27/14)
More Penn Hills News
More Reports by Harold Hayes
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