Officers testify at Stevens hearing

During the Huntley hearing, Oneida police officers took the stand to recount the events of July 15, 2016.

WAMPSVILLE, N.Y. » Miranda warnings were at the heart of witness testimony on Thursday during hearings in Michael Stevens’ attempted murder case.

Stevens, 36, is being charged with several felonies, including second-degree attempted murder, first and second-degree assault, third-degree robbery, thirddegree criminal possession of a weapon, and second-degree criminal solicitation, as well as several misdemeanors.

Oneida Police officer Joseph McCormick was first to take the stand, where he discussed the events of July 15, 2016, when he was dispatched to 209 N. Lake St. in Oneida around 2:30 a.m.

Dispatch said the caller claimed “my daddy is stabbing my mother,” he said, and then when he arrived on scene, he saw “three small children running out of the house screaming, then

female running out of the house covered in blood. She fell on the grass.” He said he recognized the woman as Erin Chesebro. Stevens exited the house as well, McCormick said, and he had blood on the front of his shirt.

Stevens complied with orders to get on the ground and put his hands on his back, and he was eventually cuffed and led to McCormick’s patrol car, the witness said.

While in the car, McCormick said he read Stevens his Miranda rights, but did not have the defendant sign the Miranda warning card all OPD officers are issued. McCormick said there is no designated place on the card for defendants to sign and he does not have suspects sign in general.

Investigator William Clark corroborated McCormick’s testimony that Stevens was read his Miranda rights, but said as a general rule he has defendants sign the card, so long as they choose to. They are not required to sign them, he said while on the witness stand.

He also said he saw McCormick file the original Miranda card the day of the arrest, but that card cannot be found.

Neither officer said Stevens appeared to be intoxicated on July 15, though they did say Stevens informed them he had been drinking. Clark also said Stevens said he’d taken prescription medication and “other drugs,” but did not specify what those were.

During the arrest, McCormick said Stevens said something along the lines of “I don’t know what happened, but I just started swinging.” He also requested someone look at some puncture wounds on his stomach.

Clark said Stevens showed him some superficial cuts on the tips of his fingers. “He told me his girlfriend Erin had basically flipped out on him and tried to stab him with a knife. He said he was avoiding being stabbed and pushed her arms back and wasn’t sure how she got hurt.”

When describing the scene the morning of July 15, Clark said “there was a lot of blood on the grass, the curb in front of the house - a lot of blood on the porch. There was a knife in the yard.”

McCormick said he saw a knife about 5-7 feet away fromStevens on the grass, but could not recall seeing the weapon before the defendant exited the house. He also said Stevens vomited in his patrol car. When asked if his children were okay, McCormick told Stevens they were fine.

Police talked with Stevens for about three hours in the OPD’s recording room, Clark said. A CD with the interview was also placed into evidence but not played. During that time, Clark said Stevens only requested a lawyer when asked to sign a search and seizure form, saying he wouldn’t sign anything without counsel.

Upon searching the North Lake Street residence, Clark said there was evidence of drug use, as well as beer cans and bottles throughout the house.

Sgt. David Meeker Jr. also took the stand Thursday to answer questions about a letter received by the district attorney’s office on Aug. 16, 2016. The unsolicited letter came from an inmate at the Madison County Jail who was not working for the OPD, he said, nor had been asked to speak with Stevens.

The letter said Stevens had requested two witnesses be killed so they couldn’t testify against himin court, Meeker said.

On Aug. 24, Meeker said, police met with the letter writer and put a wire on himto record conversations with Stevens in jail. An hour-long recording of them talking was submitted as evidence but not played.

On cross-examination, Meeker said he couldn’t recall the last time he’d talked with Stevens, but that he did recognize the defendant’s voice on the recording.

The case is on track for an Oct. 23 trial.