The defense for a Brooklyn Park man accused of murder said the state?s case relies on unreliable witnesses and a sheer lack of evidence ? police haven?t found the body.
Antonio Moore, 21, is on trial this week for allegedly shooting Michael Francis, 21, about 6:30 a.m. April 14 in the 5100 block of Brookwood Road.
Witnesses say Moore stuffed the body in the trunk of a stolen car and drove off with his girlfriend.
But defense attorney William Davis told the jury during opening arguments Wednesday in Anne Arundel Circuit Court not to believe testimony from the witnesses.
“The cast of characters the state is going to bring in here and ask you to believe, you wouldn?t trust with the keys to your house to pick up your mail,” said Davis. For example, witness Teiko Johnson has a record of sex offense and theft charges, according to court records.
“They are going to give you more stories than Mother Goose?s dictionary.”
The state?s case rests heavily on several reluctant witnesses, including three children, who say they saw the events leading up to the shooting.
Even though the body has never been found, a close-range shot to the midsection could kill a person, said Assistant State?s Attorney Larry Caporale.
Gasps arose from the courtroom as prosecutors showed jurors the murder weapon ? a 9 mm black rifle Moore was seen carrying in the hours before the shooting.
Caporale added that at the time of his arrest, Moore told Baltimore City police officers, “Respect me and you live longer. They didn?t respect me and that?s why that b—- had to die.”
Johnson, 31, a neighbor of Francis, testified that Moore used the same rifle to beat him up and demand marijuana the morning of the shooting.
“Every time I told him I had none, he?d hit me in the face,” said Johnson.
“He was all pumped up. I couldn?t tell if he was drunk. He couldn?t hold still.”
He said Moore took him to his stolen car, opened the trunk and told him to get on his knees, but he escaped.
Less than an hour later, witnesses said Moore demanded Francis get into the trunk of his car and shot him when wouldn?t comply, according to charging documents.
“To this day the body of Michael Francis has not been found,” Caporale said.
