A small taped package containing a white “dusty substance was at the centre of testimony yesterday afternoon in the high profile murder trial of the two men accused of killing Mario Miller, the son of Cabinet Minister Leslie Miller.
A small taped package containing a white “dusty” substance was at the centre of testimony yesterday afternoon in the high profile murder trial of the two men accused of killing Mario Miller, the son of Cabinet Minister Leslie Miller.
Prosecution witness Ednol Mackey told the Supreme Court that he and 24-year-old murder accused, Ryan Miller, met with a man that Mr. Mackey described as “tall and bright”, on June 21, 2002, the day before Mario Miller’s badly stabbed body was found in a bushy area near the Super Value foodstore in Winton.
Mr. Mackey said that when Ryan Miller visited his home around 3: 30 p.m., the accused told him that he wanted to show him something.
He said that the pair, along with two other men, drove to a beauty salon on Shirley Street in a white Nissan Sentra, and it was there that they met the “tall, bright” man, who was driving a green SUV.
The witness said that they followed the jeep to an area not far from the salon and then he and Ryan Miller got into the vehicle and drove around the block.
Mr. Mackey said that the driver of the jeep then took out a small, black taped package and handed it to Ryan Miller.
“[Ryan Miller] asked me if I knew anyone who wants this and I said, ‘this what you carry me out my house for? Carry me back home’,” Mr. Mackey told the court.
The witness said that he responded that way because he thought the package contained something illegal, and that when he returned home, around 5:15 p.m., he tried to report the incident to the police.
Mario Miller, 28, was found dead on June 22nd, 2002 with violent stab wounds to the neck, face and hands.
Tamar Lee, a.k.a. Ricardo Miller, 30 – Ryan Miller’s older brother – is also accused of murdering Mario Miller.
Minister of Trade and Industry, Leslie Miller, told the court on Monday that he last saw his son, who lived him, on June 21st , 2002, and that his son drove a green and gold 1997 Infinity SUV.
The Crown is alleging that the accused men killed Mario Miller and then fled New Providence.
Both Lee and Miller were eventually arrested in other islands and were allegedly with Mario Miller the day before his death.
The high profile trial got off to a slow start in the Supreme Court yesterday due to a scheduling mix up and a closed-court session requested by the prosecutor, Director of Public Prosecutions Bernard Turner.
Crimes of Scene officer, Corporal Kermit Jones, said during the morning session that when he searched a 1996 Nissan Sentra, registered in the name of Brian Beneby, he found a “suspected” blood stain on the inside handle of the passenger door.
Corporal Ferguson told that court that no other bloodstains were found in the vehicle.
Defense counsel, Murrio Ducille, noted that Mr. Mackey was in police custody when he gave a statement to police.
He said that parts of Mr. Mackey’s testimony differed from the statement that he gave to police on June 30th, 2002.
The attorney said that in his testimony given to the Supreme Court yesterday, Mr. Mackey described the package as black, but in his statement to the police he said that the package was brown.
“I am suggesting to you, sir, that you said something else on another occasion,” said Mr. Ducille.
“I don’t recall,” replied Mr. Mackey.
“Then I’ll refresh your memory,” said the attorney.
Mr. Ducille said there was a discrepancy in Mr. Mackey’s description of who the driver of the jeep gave the package to and the time that the witness arrived back home.
The attorney also pointed to a portion of Mr. Mackey’s police statement relating to his response to a question of whether he knew anyone who would be interested in the package.
According to Mr. Mackey’s statement to the police, he said that he told Miller that he would check around and get back to him, but yesterday he said that his reply was no.
“Did you say that to the police?” asked Mr. Ducille.
“I guess so,” replied Mr. Mackey.
Yesterday, relatives of Mario Miller were in court to observe the proceedings, including Leslie Miller, who stayed for a few minutes during both the morning and afternoon sessions.
The case is before Justice Anita Allen and is being heard before a jury of nine women and three men.
The case continues today at noon.
By: Stephen Gay, The Bahama Journal
