Day 3: Murder defendant dozes during testimony on The Murfreesboro Post

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Day 3: Murder defendant dozes during testimony

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By: LISA MARCHESONI

Posted: Thursday, January 29, 2009 11:01 am

Circuit Court Judge Don Ash chastised a murder defendant for sleeping during trial testimony.

Defendant Tina Williamson, 40, of Woodbury, who is being tried for first-degree murder of General “Jack” Rains, dropped her head several times and appeared to be sleeping while Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Agent Dan Royse testified about firearms.

Ash took a break and asked the jury to step out of the courtroom and addressed Williamson.

“Miss Williamson, I am not pleased with your behavior in court this morning,” Ash said.

He told her if she can’t stay awake she should drink coffee.

“We’re not going to have any more sleeping,” Ash noted the jurors were watching her as she slept.

Williamson blamed her sleepiness on her diabetic medication, but Ash told her she should control her medication during the trial.

She was given a cup of coffee before the jurors came back.

In his testimony, Royse said he compared several handguns. Assistant District Attorney Paul Newman asked if a handgun found at Williamson’s home may or may not be the murder weapon.

Royse replied, “That’s correct.”

The defendant’s attorney, Bob Peters, countered asking if Royse could testify that this was positively the murder weapon.

“No sir, I can’t,” Royse replied.

TBI agent Charles Hardy examined the boxer shorts Rains wore when he was killed Aug. 31, 2007 at his home on McFarlin Avenue. DNA found on the shorts came from Rains and Williamson, Hardy said.

During cross-examination, Peters asked if Williamson’s DNA would be on the shorts if she wore the garment or laundered it.

Hardy said her DNA could be found on the shorts if she wore them but probably not if she laundered it.

Newman asked Hardy the size of the shorts.

“Size 44,” Hardy replied.

Dr. Feng Li, the medical examiner who performed the autopsy, said Rains suffered five gunshot wounds to his head, one contact wound, one at close range and three from distant range.

“The cause of death in this case was multiple gunshot wounds,” Li said. “The manner of death is homicide.”

Li said he could not determine exact time of death but between before noon Aug. 31 would be consistent with the autopsy.

Detective Ty Downing, who investigated the case with lead Detective Ralph Mayercik, testified they located Betty Olson, a friend of Williamson’s, who picked her up in Murfreesboro the day of the murder and took her home.

Olson agreed to cooperate with the detectives and called Williamson in a taped telephone call Sept. 5 or 6. District Attorney William Whitesell played the tape.

Williamson instructed Olson not to tell detectives about the ride.

“I wasn’t no where near his house,” Williamson said. “I was at my house the whole time.”

Williamson urged Olson to tell the truth.

Olson asked Williamson if she told detectives she picked her up.

“That would never be mentioned,” Williamson answered, later adding no one knew Olson picked her up.

Olson agreed to wear a wire and meet with Williamson Sept. 14.

During the conversation, Williamson told Olson Rains left her $5,000 and a duplex valued at $175,000.

“He was going to change his will and leave me everything” three days before he died, Williamson said, adding if he did, “I’d be at the sheriff’s department.”

Williamson discussed how she earned $750 to $800 in untaxed cash per week selling and buying cars. She also noted the reason she was suspected was because she got money from Rains.

“He was murdered on Friday,” Williamson said, explaining he was shot five times in the back of the head.

“I couldn’t shoot nobody like that” unless they messed with my kids, she said. If she shot someone, Williamson said she would shoot “once or twice to make sure he was dead and then I’d get the hell out of there.”

Williamson discussed her alibi of Olson dropping her off at 11:15 a.m. and spending time with her mother until 2:30 p.m.

Rains’ family leaned forward to listen to the tape.

Williamson mentioned a $100,000 certificate of deposit she shared with Rains.

“My lawyer told me I’m going to get the $100,000,” Williamson said. “He (Rains) left it to me.”

Williamson said Rains was estranged from his son, Gary, who wanted his father’s gun collection.

“They’ve got holds on everything,” Williamson said. “They killed him for money.”

In another vein, Williamson blamed the murder on a man who asked Rains for money before his death. The murder was timed when Rains had withdrawn money from his bank account and expected his Social Security and veterans’ benefit check.

Because there was no money in Rains’ wallet, Williamson said she believes the unidentified man robbed him.

Williamson and her husband, Ron, called Rains’ repeatedly Sept. 1 and checked on him later in the evening where her husband found him deceased. They called 911.

“I didn’t expect nothing like that,” Williamson said.

Downing is expected to testify more about the investigation Friday.

Tagged under MURDER TRIAL, Tina Williamson

Member Opinions:

By: Duvics on 1/29/09
Heck yeah Judge Ash! Make that lady respect the court!

By: voiceofreason on 1/29/09
Can you believe that someone would fall asleep in their own murder trial?

By: Geana on 1/29/09
Not saying she didn't exaggerate, but yes, I've seen diabetics fall asleep in the middle of conversations and long drawn out meetings.

By: barrettbear on 1/29/09
I am a diabetic, and there is a monitor you can get to check those blood sugars. This device is for regulating and making sure those thos A1C levels stay within range. The pills are not what causes you to fall asleep, it depends on how low or how high the A1C level is. That would be known as a diabetic coma. Sounds as if the defendant had something else going on.

By: Boo on 1/30/09
barrettbear, your right,and knowing she is diabetic, she should already have this device. But- there are many non-compliant diabetics out there. She may be one of them. Or, as you said, something else may be going on. There may also be something besides sugar in her blood stream.

By: voiceofreason on 1/30/09
If her sugar is very high, then one symptom would be lethargy. Partly because she cannot metabolize the sugar as energy with low insulin levels and partly because she may have a hard time sleeping. Frequent urination during the night also makes for a lot of sleep loss which is another factor. Ketoacidosis, a condition caused by high blood sugar levels, can also inhibit the lungs ability to work at full capacity causing a lack of oxygen. But hey girl, this is your life on trial here. Of course, she could be lying as well. Maybe playing opossum.