Three defense witnesses began testifying this morning after the prosecution rested its case in a murder trial.
Tina Williamson, 40, of Woodbury is being tried for first-degree murder, felony murder and especially aggravated robbery of General “Jack” Rains, 83, of McFarlin Ave. Rain’s body was found Sept. 1, 2006 at his home off Old Woodbury Highway where he had been shot five times in the head.
Defense attorney Bob Peters cross-examined sheriff’s Detective Ty Downing. Peters asked if Ms. Williamson lied to detectives about being in Murfreesboro the day Rains was killed.
“She did lie about that, yes,” Downing replied.
Peters asked if Downing was concerned about that.
“It was a big problem,” Downing replied.
Peters said detectives never came up with the murder weapon used to kill Rains.
No, we did not find a definitive weapon, Downing said.
District Attorney General Bill Whitesell asked if the detectives interviewed several people during the investigation. Then he asked if they found anyone that saw Rains after he left Tina Williamson at her house the day she was killed.
“No, we didn’t find anyone,” Downing said.
After the state rested, Peters asked Circuit court judge Don Ash for a judgment of acquittal saying evidence was lacking.
“There is no physical evidence that connects the defendant with this crime,” Peters said.
Ash denied the motion.
Three defense witnesses testified Monday morning.
Williamson’s neighbor, Britt Knox, testified he saw Williamson in her yard about 10:30 a.m. Aug. 31. Within five or 10 minutes, she was gone.
Knox described her physical condition as “feeble” after she was involved in a crash.
Williamson nodded off momentarily, dropping her head on her chest while he testified.
Knox told jurors he investigated the case himself.
With the jury outside the courtroom, Knox said he wanted to help Williamson’s husband, Ron, reduce attorney fees.
Knox checked phone calls and determined Rains dealt with a lot of people.
Williamson told him her friend Betty Olson got her a ride to Murfreesboro Aug. 31 to buy illegal drugs but let her out on Mercury Boulevard and South Rutherford Boulevard where she walked 1/10th of a mile until Olson picked her up.
Whitesell asked if Knox remembered talking to his assistant, Paul Newman, who asked if he believed Williamson was a pathological liar.
Knox replied, “yes,” adding he was dismayed Williamson lied to him about buying illegal drugs. Knox maintained Williamson never lied to him.
After listening to his results of the investigation, Ash ruled Knox was not an expert so he couldn’t testify about phone calls or blood spatter.
Jeffrey Ross, Rains’ neighbor, testified he heard a “crack” sound similar to fireworks about 4 p.m. Aug. 31 but didn’t pay attention because he often heard the sound.
Ross told sheriff’s Detective Ralph Mayercik he saw a black man pulling out of Rains’ driveway the same day but later determined it was a “figment of my imagination” after he took a pain killer.
After Rains’ body was found, Ross said Williamson threw her arms around him crying.
“I asked her to get off me,” Ross said. “I didn’t know who she was.”
In his statement, Ross told Mayercik Williamson cried “crocodile tears” he described as “deliberate wailing.”
Williamson stayed in his driveway talking for several hours.
“She seemed to be answering questions no one was asking,” Ross said.
Whitesell asked if it sounded like she talked about an alibi.
“Yes,” Ross replied.
Williamson’s daughter, who rented a duplex from Rains, asked her mother about rent, Ross said. Williamson replied she shouldn’t worry about the rent anymore, adding, “Her rent was taken care of.”
Witness Chris Alexander said he met Rains at a restaurant about eight months before he died. Rains sold him four quarts of moonshine but he never went inside his house for the transaction.
Rains talked about his wife in a nursing home and a “young girl” or “new friend” but didn’t give names.
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