Lisa Marchesoni
Posted: Thursday, January 14, 2010 1:08 pm

Murder suspect Mac Ray McFarlane told two Kentucky men he fatally shot a man with a rifle in a wooded area, the two men testified Thursday afternoon.

Witnesses Charles Bickett testified McFarlane told him in the late 1990s he walked a man out of the woods “and shot him with a rifle.”

Also, witness William Sapp testified McFarlane told him he killed a man and tried to make it appear like an accident.

“He thought the guy was going to testify against him,” Sapp said. “He told me he used a shotgun.”

McFarlane is being tried on charges of first-degree premeditated murder and felony murder of co-worker Gene Stump, 28, of Smyrna, who was shot and killed in March 1982. His headless and armless body was found a month later on the Corps of Engineers property on Lamar Road near Percy Priest Lake.

Sheriff’s Cold Case Unit Detectives Lt. Bill Sharp and Dan Goodwin charged McFarlane with Stump’s murder two years ago. McFarlane pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Bickett said McFarlane’s confession when he was in a “crying mood” shocked him.

Jurors learned Sapp was convicted last year in federal court of possession of firearms in Kentucky. He is on probation for three years.

Earlier in the day, Stump’s ex-wife Mary said her divorced husband, Gene, knew he had to “get away from Randy” if he wanted to restore his marriage.

The ex-wife said Gene Stump told her he would have to get away from Randy McFarlin to return to his wife and children but Stump was murdered in 1982 before they reconciled. McFarlin changed his name to Mac Ray McFarlane.

Outside the jury’s presence, Mary Stump said her husband told her he and McFarlin robbed a convenience store.

“This is my assumption – he (Stump) really wanted to get away from him (McFarlane),” Mary Stump said.

Her testimony came in the second day of trial for McFarlane who pleaded not guilty to both charges before Circuit Court Judge Don Ash and a jury.

Ash did not allow jurors to hear the men were involved in a robbery because it might prejudice the jury against McFarlane.

Much of the morning’s testimony was devoted to identifying Stump’s body.

Assistant District Attorney Paul Newman asked the former wife about Stump’s choice of clothes.

Mary Stump testified Stump dressed as a cowboy, wearing cowboy shirts, jeans and boots. She identified the clothes he wore when his body was found “unless it was someone else wearing his clothes.”

A lighter found on his body was engraved with his name was a gift she gave him for his last birthday, she said.

Defense attorney Luke Evans asked why she didn’t report him missing. The ex-wife said he would be gone for days at a time and always returned.

Jurors asked what kind of cigarettes he smoked and what kind of beer he drank.

The ex-wife said he smoked Winston cigarettes and drank Budweiser beer.

Stump’s friend, James Hirlston, testified he partied with Stump the last year of his life. Stump drank Miller beer. A Miller beer bottle was found near his body.

Hirlston identified the lighter found on Stump’s body.

After Stump’s disappearance, McFarlin called Hirlston and Walter Smith to pick up Stump’s Subaru parked at McFarlin’s home. The car was locked with the keys inside so they had to pick the lock. He later gave the car to Mary Stump.

McFarlin told Hirlston Stump left with hippies but that didn’t make sense to Hirlston.

“Gene basically lived in that car,” Hirlston told jurors. “For Gene to up and leave, it didn’t make sense to me.”

Stump owned a shotgun for hunting and a .22, he said.

Romy Franco of Orchid Cellmark testified she compared skull fragments believed to be Stump to his brother Steve’s DNA. The results showed the bone probably came from Gene Stump.

Evans asked if she could get DNA from the missing Miller beer bottle.

Franco said she could have.

Newman countered, asking if a water and sewer leak would have contaminated the evidence.

Franco said DNA could degrade, especially if it was outside.

Orchid Cellmark Manager Deanna Lankford said she compared a femur believed to be Stump’s with DNA of his son, Jason. Her test found the femur was Stump’s.

When Newman asked how certain she was, she replied, “I’m 99.9 percent certain.”

Lankford was unable to obtain DNA from a mass of hair found at the scene.

During the afternoon, co-workers Stephen Burns, Jerry Woodall and Charles Head testified McFarlin told them Stump left his job at Thompson Machinery in La Vergne and his car with McFarlin to travel with hippies. All three co-workers testified they found the story had to believe about Stump who seldom missed a day of work.

They also said they were unaware Stump drank heavily.

Billy Smith, who described Stump as “one of the best friends I ever had,” said Stump told him he and McFarlin robbed a store.

Smith heard McFarlin threaten Stump but couldn’t give a time.

“Keep running your mouth,” McFarlin told Stump. “It will get you killed.”

Smith’s sister-in-law, Evelyn Smith of Old Nashville Highway, said she heard the same threat.

Former sheriff’s Detective Steve Pickel said he and Detective Robert Asbury interviewed McFarlin the day after finding Stump’s body and again four days later. In the second interview, McFarlin told them he helped Stump fill out his income tax and used McFarlin’s address.

When the check for $677 came back, McFarlin said he deposited it in his own bank account for safekeeping.

Evans asked Pickel if he asked McFarlin if he killed Stump. Pickel replied he didn’t ask.

Asbury, who is now deputy chief of the department, said after his first interview with McFarlin, he became the one suspect.

District Attorney William Whitesell asked, “Did you ever find any other person who had a motive to kill Gene Stump?”

“No,” Asbury replied.

Whitesell asked if he found anyone who saw Stump alive after McFarlin and his wife.

“No,” Asbury replied.

Evans hammered Asbury for not preserving evidence or sending clothing items to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for DNA testing.

Asbury said a water and sewer leak at the old jail destroyed some evidence. Also, he didn’t know about DNA testing until several years after Stump’s murder.

The deputy chief acknowledged he never asked McFarlin for Stump’s gun and never asked him if he killed Stump.

Outside the jury’s presence, Asbury said he planned to give a lie detector test to McFarlin but he shot himself and sought treatment at medial and mental facilities for a couple of years. When he was released, attorney Steve Waldron, who represented McFarlin, informed Asbury not to question his client.

One juror asked why McFarlin was not arrested for the robbery.

“He was,” Asbury said.

Another juror asked why Asbury did not confiscate Stump’s car.

Asbury replied the car was given to Stump’s ex-wife a month earlier.

The trial resumes Friday morning with Goodwin’s testimony concerning the statement McFarlin gave him and Sharp during their 2008 investigation.