Witness gives confusing testimony in Strong trial
Juror also dismissed in murder case
A witness who prosecutors hoped would be able to say she gave Preston Strong a ride on the night of the “La Mesa” murders instead provided jurors with some confusing testimony during her time on the stand Tuesday, admitting she could not remember specific dates and times.
Strong, who is represented by attorney Ray Hanna of Prescott and William Fox, who is with the Yuma County Public Defenders Office, is charged with six counts of first-degree murder, one count of armed robbery and one count of burglary in the murders, which occurred on June 24, 2005.
He faces a potential death sentence if convicted. He is also currently serving two life-term sentences with no chance for parole for the 2007 murder of Yuma physician Satinder Gill.
Superior Court Judge Maria Elena Cruz also had to dismiss a juror after she informed the court that she was inadvertently provided information regarding the defendant already being convicted of a murder.
The juror, who was brought into the courtroom outside the presence of the other jury members, explained to the court that a woman who comes to her place of employment, asked a co-worker why she had not been there much, and was told about her jury duty.
The next time the woman saw her, the juror said the woman asked her if she was on the big murder trial. The juror said she told the woman that she was not allowed to discuss it and turned to walk away, but before she could, the woman blurted out that she thought Strong was guilty because he had already been convicted of killing someone.
Although the juror said she felt she could still be impartial, Cruz ultimately ruled that she should be excused and thanked her for her service.
“At this time, I think it is the right thing to do,” Cruz said.
The juror’s dismissal now leaves 12 women and five men on the jury panel to decide Strong’s fate.
Ada Harris, who was the second witness to take the stand, testified she met Strong when she worked at the Yuma Landing, saying he was a frequent customer at the restaurant.
Although she testified that she couldn’t remember what day it was, she said that on the day in question she had received several texts and phone calls from Strong, which she ignored. She added it was unusual because he normally didn’t contact her.
Harris said she eventually answered her phone and Strong asked her for a ride. She said she picked him up from a gas station near her father’s home, which was in the 1700 block of 17th Street, where she had been at the time.
When prosecutor Karolyn Kaczorowski asked Harris if she remembered telling detectives that she picked Strong up at a Circle K instead of a gas station, she corrected herself, saying that it had been, although she did not state which one.
Harris was interviewed by Yuma police detectives twice, once in Richmond, Kentucky in November 2006 and most recently in Springfield, Illinois, in November of 2013.
She then testified that she took Strong to Sanguinetti Park, where she dropped him off.
“I asked where we were going and he explained that he needed to get his car because a friend had borrowed it.”
It is the prosecution’s belief that Strong had left his car parked at the park, which is also close to where a Dodge Durango belonging to Luis Rios, one of the victims, was found the morning after the murders.
Harris also testified that sometime after the murder she received a text message from Strong advising her to tell anyone looking for him that she did not know where he was.
“I didn’t understand the purpose of it,” Harris said. “I didn’t know where he was.”
Although she also told detectives that she thought it was after dark when she picked up Strong, on the stand she couldn’t remember for sure. Nor could she remember when it happened, only saying she thought it was hot that day.