Murder in The Villages-Justice Continues (Part 4)

Well, finally we have a full jury AND the trial has begun.

OCALA - Villages resident James Miller said he remembered the flash of the light, the sound of the gun and then felt the bullet hit his head seconds before his wife became a target for a second time.

''Then they shot Diana [his wife] in the head after they shot me,'' Miller, 80, said, adding that his wife had already been shot once in the chest before they turned the gun on him on July 21, 2006.

Before the fatal shot hit his wife, Miller thought she was already dead.''Diana rolled up like a ball at the end of my feet,'' he continued. ''That's when I knew she was dead.''

Miller's testimony came Tuesday at the beginning of the first-degree murder, attempted murder and armed robbery and kidnapping trial of Jarrord Marqui Roberts, 20, and Renaldo Devon McGirth, 19.

During the testimony, Miller said three men came by to see his daughter, Sheila Miller, 39, who had been injured and was living with the family at their Villages of Springdale home.
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Earlier during opening arguments, Roberts' defense attorney Henry Ferro told a jury his client never touched the gun that killed Diana Miller and wasn't in the home when the fatal shot was fired.

Ferro said a codefendant, McGirth, was the triggerman. Ferro also said kidnapping charges were not valid because Sheila Miller was a part of case.

''There is evidence that Sheila Miller is involved in this crime,'' Ferro said, adding that she said, ''Let me get a hat,'' as they took her from the home.
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Earlier Tuesday, defense attorneys filed motions - which were denied by Lambert - to start jury selection over from scratch. Lambert asked each juror if he or she had heard anything about the case. They had not.

Mike Gourley, one of Roberts' two defense attorneys, compared the possible tainted jury to a pot of stew, stating that when you take a bite and know it is bad, you throw it all away.

''You get rid of the whole pot of stew,'' he said, inferring that a person would not keep eating by assuming the rest is OK to eat.

Yeah, shyster, it is a bad pot of stew. Your client and his fellow murderer are the rotten tomatos.

And slowly but surely we'll be getting to the truth.


UPDATE (1-30-08)

Trial continues. Sheila Miller, the druggie daughter, testified.

And of course she had no idea what kind of people her 'friends' were.

She was a victim you see.

UPDATE (1-31-08)

Another day of prosecution witnesses. And, oh yeah, another interesting side note concerning a juror. Well, read it yourself. And remember, it's always something.

Looks like it could be Monday before the defense takes over.