BLOUNTVILLE -- A witness put Jawaune Massey near a Kingsport candle shop on the day he is accused of participating in the robbery and murders of the owner and a second man there.
Massey, 36, is being tried in Sullivan County Circuit Court this week on charges alleging his involvement in the Nov. 18, 2005, robbery and execution-style shooting deaths of Jeffrin Nolan, 27, and Terrance Alexander, 21, inside the former Solé candle shop at 828 Myrtle St.
Massey's charges include two counts each of premeditated and felony first-degree murder and one count each of especially aggravated robbery and criminal conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, criminal conspiracy to possess more than 26 grams of cocaine with intent to sell or deliver, possession of over 26 grams of cocaine for resale, and maintaining a dwelling where controlled substances are used or sold.
Testimony Wednesday from Nolan's girlfriend, Ashley Adams, supported the prosecution's earlier assertion that Nolan's candle shop was a cover for his cocaine dealings. Adams said she last saw Nolan, whom she also knew as "Ebu," and Alexander in the shop at approximately 3:30 p.m the day of the shootings.
Casey Chambers was 18 and a resident of 818 Myrtle St. at that time.
Chambers testified it was late that afternoon when an older-model gray car occupied by four black males pulled up outside her house, with the car's front passenger-side door right at the gate to the chain-link fence around her yard.
The front-seat passenger had what appeared to be a Bluetooth earpiece with a red stripe in one ear. At one point, she made eye contact with him and later recognized his face from a photo provided by police, she testified. The prosecution provided a photo of co-defendant Osheene Massey, and Chambers affirmed this was the man she had seen.
Chambers said she also noticed a black, newer-model SUV parked nearby with a black male in the driver's seat and a female front-seat passenger whom she described as "light skinned" and "mixed." Chambers said she could not see whether the back seat was occupied.
According to Chambers' testimony, she did not witness all the movements of these individuals but had occasionally watched them from her living room window or from outside her home.
Chambers testified she saw a man in the passenger-side rear seat of the gray car exit the vehicle, briefly stand at the passenger side of the SUV, reach for his wallet, then get in the SUV. Four or five minutes later, he returned to the gray car, leaned in, then went back to the SUV. Shown a photo of Leslie Allen Ware Jr., Chambers affirmed this was the man she had seen and previously identified to police from a book of photos.
Chambers testified the next thing she saw was Ware and another rear-seat passenger of the Lincoln walk away down Myrtle in the direction of Center Street. Shown a photo of Jawaune Massey, Chambers affirmed this was the man she had seen and previously identified to police.
Sometime after that, her dogs barking in the front yard drew her attention back to the vehicles parked outside. That's when she saw a black female approaching the gray car, waving her hands. The driver of the gray car then got out and walked by the woman, in the direction of Center Street. The woman then got in the driver's seat of the car, Chambers testified.
Shown photos of Octavia Brooks and Clyde Green, she affirmed these were the two individuals she had seen and previously identified.
A few minutes later, the dogs began barking again, Chambers said. From her back yard, she saw three black males running down the street. She testified she recognized them as the driver of the gray car and the car's two rear-seat passengers.
The female in the gray car had gotten the vehicle "stuck vertically" in the road, Chambers testified. She said she was unsure whether the woman scooted over or got in the back, but said she saw the original driver get back in the driver's seat and they drove off, headed away from Center Street.
Chambers said she didn't see the SUV leave but advised it was gone at that point as well.
Chambers said "later" police and ambulances responded to the candle shop, and she and her then-boyfriend walked down to the scene to provide police with a license plate number she had taken down.
Testimony Wednesday also included current and former members of the Kingsport Police Department who were involved in the investigation.
According to their testimony, the investigation led police to 404 Holly Point, Piney Flats, where they found a gray Lincoln Continental and a black Toyota 4Runner parked outside. The vehicles were subsequently impounded, and the home and the vehicles were each searched for evidence.
Much of Wednesday was taken up with hearings outside the jury's presence to determine whether what was located during these searches was relevant and admissible.
During one such hearing, the jury was sent home at approximately 4:30 p.m.