Cone v. Colson

925 F. Supp. 2d 927, 2013 WL 752129, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 67556
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Tennessee
DecidedFebruary 14, 2013
DocketNo. 97-2312-JPM
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 925 F. Supp. 2d 927 (Cone v. Colson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cone v. Colson, 925 F. Supp. 2d 927, 2013 WL 752129, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 67556 (W.D. Tenn. 2013).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING RESPONDENT’S MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT1 AND ORDER DENYING PETITIONER’S MOTION FOR RELIEF ON BRADY2 CLAIMS

JON P. MeCALLA, Chief Judge.

I. SUPREME COURT REMAND AND MANDATE 933

II. PROCEDURAL HISTORY 933

III. FACTUAL BACKGROUND 933

IV. CONE’S PETITION FOR HABEAS CORPUS — THE BRADY CLAIM 935

V. THE WITHHELD INFORMATION 935

VI.THE TRIAL FOR THE MURDERS OF CLEOPATRA AND SHIPLEY TODD — FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 1982, THROUGH FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1982 937

A. The Guilt Phase — April 16,1982 through April 20,1982 938

1. Trial Day One: Friday, April 16,1982, 8:30 a.m. to 6:25 p.m. 938

a. Opening Statements 938

[931]*931b. State’s Proof 939

(1) Aaron Hayes, Jr. Manager, Brodnax Jewelry 939

(2) Sue Schratz Employee, Brodnax Jewelry 941

(3) Songu Mize Customer, Brodnax Jewelry 942

(4) Richard “Randy” Mize Customer, Brodnax Jewelry 942

(5) C.M. “Mike” Stovall Memphis Police Department (“MPD”) Criminal Investigation Division 944

(6) Bert Allen3 MPD Motorcycle Squad Officer shooting victim ■ 946

(7) Barbara Benbrook neighborhood resident, eyewitness 948

(8) Deborah Stanford neighborhood resident, eyewitness 949

(9) John Douglas (“Doug”) Clark eyewitness, shooting victim 949

(10) Charles Slaughter neighborhood resident, eyewitness 951

(11) Debbie Howell Slaughter’s daughter, eyewitness 952

(12) Richard K. Wilson MPD Homicide Investigator 952

2. Trial Day Two: Saturday, April 17, 1982, 9:00 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. 952

a. State’s Proof, continued 952

(1) Richard K. Wilson, continued 952

(2) Hersehel Dalton neighborhood resident; victim, attempted-carjacking 953

(3) Lucille Tuech neighborhood resident; victim, attempted-home invasion 954

(4) Velora Hargett friend of Cleopatra Todd 955

(5) Gregory W. Moore Todds’ grandson 956

(6) Paul Adams Todds’ neighbor, called police to Todds’ house 956

(7) Mary Maguire Todds’ neighbor 957

(8) Steven R. Cole MPD Officer, first on scene at Todds’ house 957

(9) Marjorie Todd Moore daughter of Shipley Todd, stepdaughter of Cleopatra Todd 958

(10) Wayne A. Todd Todds’ grandson 959

(11) James Spencer Bell, M.D. Chief Deputy Shelby County Medical Examiner; Deputy Chief State of Tennessee Medical Examiner; expert in pathology 959

(12) Ruth Shreve victim, license plate theft 961

3. Trial Day Three: Monday, April 19, 1982, 10:45 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. 961

a. State’s Proof, continued 961

(1) Jimmy Hammers MPD Officer, Violent Crimes Bureau 961

(2) C.J. Harrell MPD Crime Scene Squad 965

(3) John Birdsong MPD Tactical Unit 965

(4) Thomas Dwight Smith MPD Officer 965

(5) Joe Sanders MPD Crime Scene Squad 966

(6) Paulette Sutton Employee, Univ. of Tenn. Toxicology Laboratory; Forensic Serology Expert 967

(7) R.L. Hannah MPD Crime Scene Squad 969

(8) Sgt. Ralph L. Roby MPD Violent Crimes Bureau 970

4. Trial Day Four: Tuesday, April 20, 1982, 10:50 a.m. t o 6:00 p.m. 974

a. State’s Proof, continued 974

(1) Merny Miller Keeper of Records, Illinois Bell 974

[932]*932(2) Michael P. Malone FBI, Microscopic Analysis Unit (hair and fiber) 975

(3) Jerry McElrath MPD Latent Fingerprint Squad 976

(4) James L. Holder MPD latent fingerprint examiner; fingerprint identification expert 976

b. Defense Proof 976

(1) Valeree Cone Cone’s mother 976

(2) Dr. Matthew Jaremko expert in clinical psychology 978

5. Trial Day Five: Wednesday, April 21,1982,10:35 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. 978

a. Defense Proof, continued 978

(1) Jonathan J. Lipman, Ph.D. neuropharmacologist; expert on effects of drugs on the human body 978

b. State’s Rebuttal 981

(1) llene Blankman Cone’s friend, former drug-user 981

6. Trial Day Six: Thursday, April 22, 1982, 8:35 a.m. to 7:55 p.m. 982

a. State’s Rebuttal, continued 982

(1) Eugene Flynn FBI Agent 982

(2) Ralph L. Roby MPD 983

(3) Ben Bursten forensic psychiatrist, Midtown Mental Health Center 984

(4) John Robert Hutson clinical psychologist; clinical director, Midtown Mental Health Center 984

b. Guil1>-Phase Closing Arguments 985

c. Jury Instructions 992

7. Trial Day Seven: Friday, April 23, 1982, 8:40 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. 994

a. Jury Instructions, continued 994

b. Jury Verdict 994

B.The Penalty Phase — April 23,1982 995

1. Opening Arguments 995
2. State’s Proof 995

a. J.A. Blackwell Criminal Court Clerk for Shelby County 995

b. MPD Officers James L. Holder, C.M. Stovall, Bert Allen, and Jimmy Hammers 996

3. Defense Proof 996
4. Penalty-Phase Closing Arguments 996
5. Jury Instructions 996
6. Jury Verdict 996
VII. LEGAL ANALYSIS 997
A. The Brady Standard 997
B. Consideration of the Withheld Information 998
C. Cone’s Drug Use and Mental State 999

1. Roby, LETS teletypes, Sue Cone, and the MPD Supplemental Offense Report 1000

2. Eyewitness Evidence of Cone’s Demeanor 1003

a. Statements of Charles and Debbie Slaughter 1003

b. Statement of Robert McKinney; Stepherson’s Big Star Robbery 1006

c. Pompano Beach Police Department Supplement 1008

3. Flynn and the FBI Records 1009

4. llene Blankman 1011

5. Source of Money 1013
D. Cumulative Effect 1015
VIII. CONCLUSION 1019

APPENDIX OF EXHIBITS A-l

[933]*933I. SUPREME COURT REMAND AND MANDATE

This cause is presently before the Court on remand from the United States Supreme Court to address Petitioner Gary Bradford Cone’s Brady claim in his habeas corpus petition. See Cone v. Bell, 556 U.S. 449, 476, 129 S.Ct. 1769, 173 L.Ed.2d 701 (2009).

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Related

Sample v. Colson
958 F. Supp. 2d 865 (W.D. Tennessee, 2013)

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Bluebook (online)
925 F. Supp. 2d 927, 2013 WL 752129, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 67556, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cone-v-colson-tnwd-2013.