07-05-2011, 12:16 PM
photos at link:
http://www.fox8.com/news/bodies/wjw-news...6225.story
July 5, 2011
CLEVELAND—
The murder trial of accused serial killer Anthony Sowell resumed Tuesday after a long holiday weekend break, Fox 8's Kevin Freeman reports.
Testimony was put on hold Thursday for a Fourth of July recess. Proceedings resumed on Tuesday at 8 a.m.
Sowell, 51, is charged with killing 11 women and dumping their remains around his Imperial Avenue home.
Donald Smith was the first witness to take the stand. He is the father of victim Kim Smith.
Donald said his daughter, nicknamed "Candy," had no children. She was a talented singer who was in the church choir and had once provided backup vocals for Gerald and Sean Levert.
He said she became addicted to drugs her senior year of high school, leading to a slippery slope of drug and alcohol abuse.
"The older gentlemen were attracted to her," Donald said. "They got her addicted to drugs -- first marijuana, then it was cocaine, then it was crack."
He said that he last saw his daughter on Jan. 17, 2009.
"I knew something was wrong, so I immediately sent fliers to friends and I put up a $500 reward for information about her whereabouts," Donald said.
He ultimately contacted the coroner's office after hearing of bodies found on Imperial in Oct. 2009.
"(It was) father's intuition," he said. "I knew there was something wrong with my daughter."
Authorities told him that his daughter was indeed found inside the house.
In a rare lighthearted moment, when Donald was leaving the stand, he asked Judge Dick Ambrose, "Do you mind if I call you Bam Bam?" -- a reference to his nickname during his days playing with the Cleveland Browns.
Next up to testify was Lamaar Webb, 29, the son of victim Janice Webb. Lamaar said he would speak to his mother, a crack addict, every day. After not seeing her for a while, he and other family members started passing out missing persons pictures.
"She had never been gone this long," he said. "After I seen (the news about the bodies found on Imperial), I figured she was there."
He contacted the coroner's office, at which point it was confirmed to him that his mother was a victim.
Defense attorney John Parker tried to discredit Lamaar's testimony during cross-examination by bringing up his felony convictions on domestic violence, burglary and drug trafficking charges.
Janice Webb's sister Joanne Moore followed her nephew to the stand. She testified about the troubles her family had filing a missing persons report, and provided more details regarding her sister's struggles with drugs.
Audrey Webb, another sister of Janice Webb, and Christine Sobey, Kim Smith's aunt, also took the stand Tuesday morning.
Last week was the first week of testimony, highlighted by three women who said Sowell choked and tried to kill them. Prosecutors say the women had been lured to the house with drugs.
Sowell has pleaded not guilty. He could face the death penalty if convicted.
The trial may last through most of the summer.
http://www.fox8.com/news/bodies/wjw-news...6225.story
July 5, 2011
CLEVELAND—
The murder trial of accused serial killer Anthony Sowell resumed Tuesday after a long holiday weekend break, Fox 8's Kevin Freeman reports.
Testimony was put on hold Thursday for a Fourth of July recess. Proceedings resumed on Tuesday at 8 a.m.
Sowell, 51, is charged with killing 11 women and dumping their remains around his Imperial Avenue home.
Donald Smith was the first witness to take the stand. He is the father of victim Kim Smith.
Donald said his daughter, nicknamed "Candy," had no children. She was a talented singer who was in the church choir and had once provided backup vocals for Gerald and Sean Levert.
He said she became addicted to drugs her senior year of high school, leading to a slippery slope of drug and alcohol abuse.
"The older gentlemen were attracted to her," Donald said. "They got her addicted to drugs -- first marijuana, then it was cocaine, then it was crack."
He said that he last saw his daughter on Jan. 17, 2009.
"I knew something was wrong, so I immediately sent fliers to friends and I put up a $500 reward for information about her whereabouts," Donald said.
He ultimately contacted the coroner's office after hearing of bodies found on Imperial in Oct. 2009.
"(It was) father's intuition," he said. "I knew there was something wrong with my daughter."
Authorities told him that his daughter was indeed found inside the house.
In a rare lighthearted moment, when Donald was leaving the stand, he asked Judge Dick Ambrose, "Do you mind if I call you Bam Bam?" -- a reference to his nickname during his days playing with the Cleveland Browns.
Next up to testify was Lamaar Webb, 29, the son of victim Janice Webb. Lamaar said he would speak to his mother, a crack addict, every day. After not seeing her for a while, he and other family members started passing out missing persons pictures.
"She had never been gone this long," he said. "After I seen (the news about the bodies found on Imperial), I figured she was there."
He contacted the coroner's office, at which point it was confirmed to him that his mother was a victim.
Defense attorney John Parker tried to discredit Lamaar's testimony during cross-examination by bringing up his felony convictions on domestic violence, burglary and drug trafficking charges.
Janice Webb's sister Joanne Moore followed her nephew to the stand. She testified about the troubles her family had filing a missing persons report, and provided more details regarding her sister's struggles with drugs.
Audrey Webb, another sister of Janice Webb, and Christine Sobey, Kim Smith's aunt, also took the stand Tuesday morning.
Last week was the first week of testimony, highlighted by three women who said Sowell choked and tried to kill them. Prosecutors say the women had been lured to the house with drugs.
Sowell has pleaded not guilty. He could face the death penalty if convicted.
The trial may last through most of the summer.