Police: Decay killed 2 over drugs, gun
Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2008
Gregory Christopher Decay told police that he killed a Fayetteville couple last year because he believed they had stolen guns and marijuana from his home, witnesses testified Friday.
Decay, 21, is accused of shooting Kevin B. Jones and Kendall R. Rice, both 24, inside their Fayetteville apartment on April 3. He faces two counts of capital murder.
Although Decay remains in the Washington County Detention Center without bond, he appeared in a motion hearing Friday wearing a blue long-sleeved, button-down shirt and khaki pants rather than the standard jail uniform. His attorney previously requested that he be permitted to wear street clothes during court proceedings.
The hearing occurred in 4 th Judicial Circuit Judge William Storey's court.
Decay faces two counts of capital murder. He is being held without bond in the Washington County Detention Center.
Storey denied defense motions to suppress from trial the defendant's confession to police and evidence seized during a search of his home.
Storey delayed ruling on a defense motion to prevent the state from seeking the death penalty. He agreed to consider delaying the April 21 trial date after Julie Tolleson, a public defender representing Decay, complained the defense learned of the state's intent to seek the death penalty only in February.
Tolleson said after the hearing the defense has not decided whether to request a delay.
Storey agreed to allow the state to introduce into evidence a photograph of Decay holding a 9 mm assaultstyle rifle known as a "street sweeper. "Police officers testified that the photo was found in Decay's bedroom and that Decay told police this was the weapon he believed the couple had stolen.
Storey did not rule on whether he will allow the slang term "street sweeper "to be used, but he did say that the term may be too inflammatory. Jesse Lee Westeen, 20, Fayetteville, faces two counts of accomplice to capital murder in the case. He is accused of driving Decay to the apartment to shoot the couple. Jason French, a Fayetteville Police officer, testified that Decay said during interrogation on April 4 that he had previously "sold weed"to Jones. After police obtained consent and searched Decay's home, Decay said that he suspected Jones and Rice of taking marijuana, the 9 mm rifle and a handgun from his home.
Decay later said he asked a man named Landers Dupree to dispose of the handgun, which police suspect is the murder weapon, witnesses said.
Paul Shepherd, a Fayetteville Police Officer, said Decay was arrested April 6 after man named Ralph Cassady, who knew Decay, told officers that Decay admitted to him that he killed the couple.
Police said they believed Cassady's story because Cassady knew details of the crime scene that had not been released to the public or media, Shepherd said.
Decay signed a confession to police after being read his Miranda rights and after he had admitted to the crime while being interviewed by officers, witnesses said.
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