Lead investigator in 2019 gas station murder takes the stand
The suspect, Daequavian Solomon, faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. The final testimony of the day came from Sgt. Sherman Hayes of the Columbus Police Department.
Hayes was lead investigator at the time of the murder of Dontrell Williams in 2019.
'Did anything stand out to you when you received that call from Laquoia Mason?' Chief Assistant District Attorney Wesley Lambertus asked Hayes, referring to a call made to police from Solomon's partner at the time.
Hayes was quick to list a few factors which made him think Mason may have some credibility.
He pointed out Mason unpromptedly identified elements of the suspect's clothing in a seconds-long clip of the suspect entering the Circle K.
'She tells us that Staff Zone provided that vest,' Hayes said. 'It [stood out] immediately, because we had not released to the public through the news what was on the back of [the vest]. That was an investigative tool because we knew preemptively what was on it.'
After hearing Mason's story, Hayes' team carried out a search of Unit 14A at the Hunter Haven apartments where Mason and Solomon lived, with Mason's permission.
Police did not find any of the clothing items visible in the surveillance video, nor did they find the mask the suspect was wearing. Mason had told him her partner wore black Nike Air Forces like the ones seen in the video often.
Hayes said he observed that Solomon kept an orderly living space. Officers observed Solomon's shoes were organized neatly and there was an empty spot in the lineup, big enough for one pair.
After Mason's truth-telling ability was called into question during cross examination by Defense Attorney William Kendrick on Wednesday, prosecutors requested that jurors be able to watch Mason's full interview with Hayes on the day after the murder.
In the video, Mason is shown pictures. She says she cannot identify them.
Kendrick also questioned Hayes about a phone call Mason had with Solomon near the time of the murder. Hayes said Mason had already explained the call.
GBI's firearm investigator told jurors that his investigation confirmed the casings found at the scene of the murder had come from the same firearm as those found outside Unit 14A of the Hunter Haven apartments.
Hayes was the last to testify for the state. Solomon declined to give his own testimony. Closing arguments are expected to be given Friday.
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