Detective Ty Downing took the stand to authenticate taped conversations of defendant Tina Williams.
|
|
|
Jurors listened to a woman on trial for murder describe how the man she’s accused of killing gave her money for “anything I wanted.”
Defendant Tina Williamson, 40, of Woodbury, is being tried on charges of first-degree murder, felony murder and especially aggravated robbery of General “Jack” Rains, 83, of McFarlin Avenue. Rains died from being shot five times in the head Aug. 31, 2007 in his home.
Williamson pleaded not guilty Tuesday before Circuit Court Judge Don Ash and a jury when the trial began.
Detective Ty Downing retook the stand Friday. District Attorney William Whitesell played two taped conversations between Williamson and police informant Betty Olson while jurors read transcripts of the conversations.
Olson is a friend of Williamson’s who picked the defendant up in Murfreesboro the day of the murder and took her home. She agreed to cooperate with detectives and to wear a “wire,” while talking with Williamson on several different occasions.
In a tape between Olson and Williamson recorded Sept. 17, 2007, Williamson said she walked past Wal-Mart where Olson picked her up.
Then, Olson asked Williamson about money.
“I was better off with Mr. Rains being alive than dead and I’ll tell you why,” Williamson said. “He gave me money al the time, he paid for my medicine, paid for my doctor’s fees. … Anything I wanted, I don’t care what it was, he got.”
Williamson said she didn’t tell detectives because her husband, Ron, said, “he’s gonna look like a sugar daddy.”
Her husband wasn’t bothered by Williamson and Rains’ relationship because the three were friends, Williamson said, adding Rains never tried anything with her.
Williamson told Olson she and Rains bought and sold cars and he gave her money.
“I was making $900 or $1,000 a week if you think about it,” Williamson said.
Because her gave her the money, Williamson said it will show she wasn’t interested in the $100,000, an apparent reference to a certificate of deposit in the name of Rains and Williamson.
“I’d much rather have him alive, much rather, and if I was gonna do it I’d worn gloves, I’d have planned it out,” Williamson said. “I wouldn’t have been calling you for no ride. I’d have planned it out.”
Part of the conversation dwelt on an unidentified black man Williamson said had arguments with Rains and owed him money.
“I think whoever done it, it was a black guy,” Williamson said.
During a Sept. 14, tape, Williamson maintains her innocence, but perhaps the most damning statement in the entire conversation was when Williamson said to Olsen, “If you murdered someone, I’d cover for your ass.”
The content of the tape dealt primarily with what Olson would tell the detectives in a formal statement about two telephone calls between the women the day of the murder.
The women discussed the statement for an hour, as Williamson instructed Olson on what she should say.
“All we gotta to figure out is why I called you twice on Friday around that time,” Williamson said on the tape.
The women then discussed how and why they had become friends and what their friendship consisted of, for Olson’s formal statement.
Williamson then told Olson, she should tell the police the defendant had called to see if she wanted anything from the store, because she was going later, if her mother could give her a ride.
Williamson instructed Olson to say the defendant’s mother was waiting at her home for a check to arrive in the mail and stayed there until 2:30 p.m. when the check arrived.
“Now tell me what you’re gonna say,” Williamson said to Olson.
Olson then repeated the statement back to Williamson, adding she’ll tell the police she gets a lot of phone calls, but doesn’t remember the actual day of these conversations.
Williamson instructed Olson to say the conversation was memorable because she was acting strangely, like she was having a problem with her diabetes.
Olson said she would tell the detectives she was worried about Williamson because she sounded “crazy,” and depressed.
“Make sure you say momma was still there waiting on a check that wouldn’t be there for two hours,” Williamson said.
The two women repeated this story over and over again for an hour, while also discussing other people with possible motives for Rains’ murder, including the black man and Rains’ son Gary Rains.
After playing the tapes, Whitesell asked Downing a series of questions about the investigation.
Downing obtained videotape from Wal-Mart Aug. 31 showing someone walking about 11:52 a.m. on John Bragg Highway. Phone records showed Williamson called Olson again at 12:03 p.m.
When Downing and Detective Ralph Mayercik interviewed Williamson, she carried a title belonging to a Mercedes owned by Rains. Downing thought it was odd and asked her about it.
Williamson replied Rains didn’t want son Gary Rains to get the car so he instructed Williamson to register it in her name in six or eight months.
Whitesell asked about evidence recovered from her home during search warrants.
Detectives found the Mercedes key in her bedroom and Rains’ wallet with his Teamsters’ Union card, joint checkbook, his military and insurance cards, address labels and stationary in her purse. They found numerous photographs of Rains celebrating his 83rd birthday and wearing a Santa hat. Williamson smiled when she saw the photos.
Several boxes of ammunition, some mixed with different kinds in one box, were found.
Whitesell asked about what Williamson told detectives she did Aug. 31.
She told them she accompanied Rains to Hardees’ restaurant and their banks before he dropped her off at her home where she spent the day.
“I know the man was killed on Friday,” Downing said, quoting Williamson, because he always called several times a day and she didn’t talk to him that evening. She denied having a sexual relationship with him.
Whitesell asked if Williamson ever mentioned walking on John Bragg Highway near Wal-Mart Aug. 31.
“No,” Downing replied.
Whitesell asked about the black man Williamson mentioned as Rains’ killer.
Witnesses told detectives the man drove a Mercedes. They located a man who drove a Mercedes who lived in the area. One witness picked him out of a photo lineup.
Whitesell asked if detectives had any evidence to link him to Rains’ murder.
“Absolutely nothing,” Downing replied. “He had a solid alibi.”
Trial resumes Monday with the state expected to close the proof. Bob Peters, Williamson’s attorney, said he expects to question 10 witnesses but would not say if Williamson will testify.
|
Email
Print
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Google
Yahoo!