Anthony Nash’s Shooting: Investigation Oversights
The shooting of Anthony Nash took place on July 5th, 2004, at approximately 2:50 pm. It took place at a local store called McCrays Grocery.
McCrays Grocery was located on a plot you could call “3 Corners”. James Trimm Street (aka Hood Street) on the North side, Hudson Street on the West Side, and 11th on the South Side. The doors of McCrays Grocery are facing South. They are on the corner of the building. (See in photo 1 below).
This local store was also a hang out for illegal drugs being sold on scene and possibly some gambling goes on inside the store. Officer Overton testified to this at the murder trial. This place was known for a lot of people with prior police records history to hang out at.
Anthony Nash hung out here, along with quite a few of the witnesses. What investigators failed to investigate and/or to disclose, was the fact that Anthony Nash on July 4th, 2004, was involved in a local dice game. Gambling and it’s known that he stole some funds from this game. Now this, in itself, should have been investigated.
The alleged suspect, Daryl Morris, was not known by even the Leland Police Department to ever hang out or go to McCrays Grocery Store.
There is also another huge area that investigators failed to look at and/or failed to disclose. We need to review the testimony of everyone there. According to R.Minnix Junior, his friend Miguel Patterson stated that the Police had 2 men in their cars they were taking down for statements, because they were going to say it was Daryl Morris. First of all, we never seen these statements. Secondly, was this K.Welton and his friend M.Flowers who were caught on MLK speeding away from the crime scene at the store in a blue Cadillac? This was where they were caught at. (See Photo 2 blue dot shows where the Cadillac was stopped down the street from the McCray’s Grocery)
PHOTO #2 – AFTER THE BLUE CADILLAC TOOK OF FROM THE SHOOTING, THEY WERE PICKED UP BY POLICE AT THE CORNER OF MLK AND HUDSON STREET—BLUE DOT INDICATES THIS CORNER. ACCORDING TO TESTIMONY, POLICE AND RANDY MINNIX JR. AND MIGUEL PATTERSON WERE AT THIS CORNER.
J. Butler, the person who was standing next to the doorway opposite Anthony Nash, was alarmed when he heard the shot enter the door and when Anthony Nash tripped over him. Those were the first and second shots. As the shot through the door is a lower shot, it was probably the second shot. The first being the left shoulder shot when A.Nash started to run, fell down as the second shot went through the door. When A.Nash initially turned to run he was struck with the first shot through the left shoulder blade through the scapula and came to rest on the right side shoulder area. A.Nash fell into J. Butler, then he started to run again cutting across Hudson towards his home on James Trimm St. J. Butler was told by the Chief of Police to come down to the Police Station to give his statement the next day, July 6th, 2004. J. Butler insisted he was forced by the police to falsify information. We have his affidavit recanting his testimony.
The two “children”, as they are referred to by prosecution, gave their statements to the Leland Police Department on August 3rd. The girl, K.D., was 17 years old and the boy, D.T. Jr., was around the same age. K.D. was dating the victims brother and was pregnant at the time of trial. D.T. Jr. was best friends of the victim.
Now these two “witnesses” claim that the suspect was a bright skinned man (K.D.) light skinned man (D.T.). He had his hair in long braids (K.D.) Ponytail with a rubber band (D.T.). He wore a ski mask on his head (K.D.) he didn’t notice a hat or anything on his head (D.T.). The hair mentioned in K.D.’s statements was added in by the police. K.D. stated she never mentioned the hair.
But the most important testimony they gave:
“[The alleged suspect] ran by us at the end of our driveway with a gun in his hand and around the store to the front. He started firing his gun. We saw Anthony Nash (victim) running down Hudson towards his home on James Trimm.”
Now there are several things wrong with this picture. From where these two ‘witnesses’ were they could not see around the front of the store. They also indicated that the shooter came from the opposite direction of the wounds to the victim. Also, the victim would have had to run towards the shooter in order to end up where he did, dying on the corner of James Trimm and Hudson street.
If a person is being shot at, you don’t run towards a shooter to escape. Also the wounds to the victim were all shot (left side and back) from an angle off 11th Street and Hudson on the other side of the store towards the store and victim. The ‘witnesses’ could not even see this portion of the streets or front of store from their driveway. (See photo 3 & 4 below)
-The FIRST shot to Anthony Nash entering left to right and a non-lethal shot
According to the testimony of Steven Hayne MD (Volume 9 Page 30 Testimony) he states a bullet entered the upper left back tracking left to right which was a non-lethal shot.
(HOWEVER, Dr. Hayne indicated earlier in testimony that the bullet entered the back left side traveling left to right into the scapula.) When Dr. Hayne was using the pictures in testimony a short while after, he indicated the bullet entered left to right going through and breaking the humerus bone and then the left scapula coming to a rest on the right side of the back. If this happened according to his second statement, then the shooter would have shot Nash while he was running in order to have the bullet go through the humerus bone of the arm, then through the scapula.
The shooter’s SECOND shot was a bullet that entered the glass door on the store entrance and it landed near a stool in the store area. It entered the lower portion of the door. According to Officer Overton’s testimony he states:
“Front door of McCray’s –11th Street on one side, James Trimm on the other and front of store on Hudson St. (Fox Store-owners nicname) Bullet in lower part of door”
Take a close look at the doors in Picture 1 -McCrays Store above. You’ll note how the doors are angled.
The THIRD lethal shot that killed Anthony Nash was:
“far left side wound near armpit in chest. Entrance from the left traveling slightly down and towards the back”.
This shot happened once A.Nash regained his steps and turned to run NW direction, and the shooter was aiming a NE shot.
The FOURTH lethal shot,
“entrance right back traveling to the left and slightly down.” while in a upright position.
Dr. Steven Hayne claimed it “could have been up close, but clothing would determine any shot residue.” Which means Dr. Hayne did not investigate the clothing Anthony Nash wore to determine gun shot residue on clothing.
The FIFTH non-lethal shot was “on the right side of the neck, close proximity, residue”.
The SIXTH non-lethal shot was a “near contact gunshot wound over the left side of the face. Above the left eyebrow, entrance was right to left, shooter was within close range due to residue. This also was a non-lethal shot”.
These two non-lethal shots Dr. Hayne indicated they were within 1 ft away from the tattooing or gunpowder residue left on the skin. Later in testimony using the pictures of A.Nash, he describes the tattooing as “being small areas of tattooing.” If it is small areas of tattooing then the gun was at least 2-4 ft away.
Also, these two shots described by Dr. Hayne do not indicate the shooter was close at least not by a foot. If the shooter was a foot away and shot into the head and neck then the shooter did a really terrible job at aiming. If you shoot someone in the head you intend for it to go into the brain. That shot skimmed the outside of the brain, doing no damage, exiting out by the left ear. Same with the neck shooting, if he was only 1 foot away it would be a more direct straight in shot rather than a fast type shooting with the bullet going towards the back.
The shooter was in a hurry and surely didn’t bend down to shoot Anthony Nash. Gun powder residue indicates a distance away also.
The neck, and the near wound on forehead, was when A.Nash was in a lying down position already having 2 lethal shots in him.
Dr. Hayne also stated when asked if he talked to anybody about this case he said “Yes the deputy coroner, Hilton Stokes of Washington County, we had a telephone conversation…” Dr. Hayne quickly changed the subject to say that there was “…also an ME-17 Form which stated that the decedant had been shot.” And describing what the ME-17 form was.
Dr. Hayne through his testimony, making sure that the description of shots fired played correctly with the prosecution’s accusations. However, he has made many errors in his testimony.
ALSO Mr. Stephen Haynes never stated in his testimony that he was or had any ballistic training, therefore, not eligible to be testifying as an expert witness regarding shooting angles, gun size, distance, etc.
Anthony Nash was involved in drugs and drug dealing. He was shot 5 times by a .38 pistol and his pockets were robbed. He was wearing 3 pairs of socks also. It was known that he kept money and drugs in the socks.
Important Information: When Anthony Nash was on the ground and the shooters took off in the blue cadillac, D.Blue (Nash’s buddy) ran up to Nash and took Nash’s gun from him. It is unknown if he also took drugs and money, but he would have known where to look. It is said the shooters took stuff from Nash’s pockets too. WHY was there not any DNA ran on Nash’s pants and shirt?
When Anthony Nash was shot, his uncle John Nash said he was holding him in his arms and Anthony was trying to tell him something. He mentioned pockets and money but John searched his pockets and found no money. He was robbed.
THE FOLLOWING DIAGRAMS WILL SHOW WHERE THE BULLETS ENTERED AND EXITED AND THE DIRECTION OF THE SHOTS.
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