Defendant Dominique Greer, 21, is escorted into Judge Rebecca Stern's courtroom by Deputy Billy McGowan after a brief recess in the murder trial that began Tuesday. Greer is accused of killing Darrian Moore, age 21 at the time of his death, in 2010.Darrian Moore was the perfect target, because he had a job and saved his money.
Three teenage boys who lived within a 10-minute walk of Moore's Harrison home plotted to rob the 21-year-old man after he got home from his shift at FedEx on July 21, 2010.
But before the trio could go through with it, at least one of them backed out. The other played a part but knew Moore too well, so he didn't go to the 5802 Shady Hollow Lane home.
Prosecutors say Dominique Greer did.
During opening statements in Greer's murder trial Tuesday, prosecutor Kristen Spires told the jury that the robbery went bad and Greer fired a single bullet from a .380-caliber handgun into Moore's left temple.
In his opening statements, Dan Ripper, Greer's attorney, told jurors that there is no physical evidence linking his client to the killing. He said Dwight Turner Jr. and Franklin Jermaine Wood planned the robbery when Greer wasn't present and are now pointing at his client to avoid trouble for a crime they committed.
Moore's father, Charles Moore, testified first.
He recounted how he saw his son pull into the driveway at about 9:30 p.m. He then heard what sounded like someone throwing something in the trash a few minutes later.
Then the phone rang.
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Darrian's mother, Angela Moore, answered.
"Momma, momma," was all she heard.
It was Darrian's number.
She came downstairs and told her husband. He looked out and saw his son's white Chevrolet Impala still parked in the driveway.
He must still be on the phone, he said.
But Angela said something wasn't right.
Charles went outside to find his son dying in the driveway.
Prosecutors then called a witness who admits he was part of the plot to rob Moore.
Turner testified that the week before the killing, he, Greer and Wood chose to rob Moore because Wood knew him well, knew he had a job and believed he had $3,000 in the bank.
Greer wanted $1,500 to help his brother record a mixtape, Turner said. Wood was going to drive Moore's car to an Atlanta chop shop and sell it for cash.
Turner was going to buy school clothes with some of the money, a statement prosecutor Lance Pope challenged his own witness on.
"Mr. Turner, do you know how ridiculous it sounds to rob a man at gunpoint to get some school clothes?" Pope asked.
"Yes, sir," Turner replied, sitting at the witness stand in a jail jumpsuit.
Turner was not charged in this case. However, he has been arrested on a more recent theft charge.
Wood pleaded guilty to facilitation of especially aggravated robbery in September and faces a sentencing hearing on Dec. 3. He faced eight to 12 years for the charge, but in exchange for his testimony he'll receive a 10-year sentence.
Prosecutors planned to call about 20 witnesses, according to court officials. The trial is expected to last until at least Friday and possibly into the weekend or next week.
Contact staff writer Todd South at tsouth@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6347. Follow him on Twitter @tsouthCTFP.