(Note: The so-called 'alibi witnesses' offered themselves as such – I did not need and did not request an alibi for the murder of my friend. The alibi witnesses are probably the real killers.)
'Alibi Witnesses'. State Attorney, Bruce
Young, called two witnesses and basically both gave the same
story. They were boyfriend and girlfriend, met the defendant when
they first arrived in Florida in September of 1982. It was
established that they shared the upstairs duplex with the victim,
while the defendant and the victims mother lived downstairs. That
the couple left the duplex early that morning to go to the plasma
centre, because they needed the money. They later went to a Bar
called Momo's where the male got into an argument with the
victim over money. They left Momo's and returned to the
duplex and stayed there until they left for another Bar where
they met a woman named Suzanne and would go with her to her
apartment above Momo's Bar, where Suzanne, another male, and them
would share a bottle of champagne. When they left there to return
home they did not take the direct route, because they wanted to
see what was going on down the street where there were fire
trucks and they thought maybe there was a fire.
Then as they drove homeward they spotted the defendant
hitch-hiking and stopped to pick him up. That the defendant
immediately after getting in the pick up truck stated that he had
just killed Butch Richardson, and if he wasn't dead he would be a
vegetable. They said they didn't believe him at first because he
was to calm and thought he was only joking. He then asked them
where they had been and when they told him he said good, that he
would tell the police he was with them, asking them to be his
alibi. They stated also that the defendant had a bloody nose
which he stated he got fighting with another hitch-hiker. That
when they got home they all went upstairs to where the victim's
mother was. That the defendant went to the kitchen sink and began
to clean the blood off his face and hands. Then the defendant and
male witness drove down the street to buy a six pack of beer.
That neither witness said anything to the victim's mother about
what happened. That when the defendant returned he and the
victims mother went downstairs.
Later a police officer would wake the witnesses and ask them what
they knew about the murder. Both said they didn't know anything
at first because they didn't want to say anything in front of the
victim's mother but instead spoke to an officer outside and told
him the whole story. There were some discrepancies
in the witnesses testimony that my trial attorney tried to bring
out. Even state's attorney Bruce Young would address the court
about one discrepancy made by the female witness. In which he
states, " I think if I feel the witness has testified
inaccurately, I think I have almost an ethical duty to bring it
out". Detective Peter Fire would testify that upon
questioning the defendant, the defendant would state he was with
the couple that lives upstairs from him and knew nothing about
the murder. Then detective Fire stated he confronted the
defendant with the statements made by the couple. Being that the
defendant told them he had killed Butch because he was angry with
him and asked the couple to supply him with an alibi. There was
an objection at this time by the defense attorney which ended with
the Trial Judge stating the couple weren't lying. Then detective
Fire went on to state the defendant could not respond to why the
couple would lie about what they said. In closing argument
state's attorney Young would restate the testimony of the couple
and of detective Fire. Telling the Jury that the defendant lied
when he said he was with the couple that night and when the Jury
considered the evidence, that it is considerable, that it is
overwhelming, not beyond and to the exclusion of a reasonable
doubt, but overwhelming.