Girlfriend remembers day of fiance's murder
By John Joyce
Published in News on September 10, 2014 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
Sheketa James, fiancee of victim Kevin Bell, tells prosecutor Mike Ricks what she remembers from the night of Bell's death in court on Tuesday morning.
Sheketa James had tears in her eyes as she recalled, inside a Wayne County courtroom, the last time she had contact with her late fiancé -- how he texted her moments before he died; how shots rang out outside the home they shared; how she heard somebody yell, "Kevin's been shot" and collapsed.
The state rested its case against the two teenagers charged in the 2012 shooting death of 34-year-old Kevin Bell.
If convicted, Stephon Jennings, 19, and Javonta Ellis, 17, face life in prison.
But the defense attorneys representing the young men both claimed that Assistant District Attorney Mike Ricks had not proven the state's case against their clients -- that there was not enough evidence to support the trial.
Superior Court Judge John Nobles disagreed and denied their requests to have charges against Jennings and Ellis dismissed.
Mary Darrow, Jennings' attorney, said she did not believe the case against her client was compelling enough to warrant a conviction.
When asked if Ricks had proven the 17-year-old was involved, she said, "Not beyond a reasonable doubt."
And when Ellis' attorney, Charles Gurley, began his defense, an emotional testimony delivered by 19-year-old's aunt, Chiquita Coley, affirmed Gurley's position.
"My heart goes out to the (Bell) family. It truly does," she told the court. "But we have a life we're about to lose, too. ... (Ellis) wasn't there."
Gurley has maintained, from the onset of the trial, that his client was never at the scene of the crime.
But Ms. Darrow has characterized Gurley's tactics as blame shifting -- objecting several times during the state's case and even asking for a mistrial due to what she referred to as Gurley painting her client as the guilty party.
When asked if Gurley's defense had significantly damaged her attempt to see Jennings acquitted, Ms. Darrow said she couldn't be sure.
"I don't know," she said. "I hope not. Only the jury could say that."
The defense was scheduled to resume its case this morning at 9:30 a.m.