Our client and his friend were asked to pick up an individual and bring him to a drug dealer’s house. Once they arrived at the drug dealer’s house, the individual got into the car and was given the front passenger seat. After getting on the highway, the drug dealer shot the individual in the back of the head with a handgun. The body was thereafter disposed of in a farmer’s field.
After some investigation, our client was arrested. He co-operated with the authorities and admitted to having picked up the individual and driving the car when the homicide happened. He also admitted to helping move the body out of fear and thereafter cleaning up his car. However, he always denied any knowledge that a homicide was the purpose of his picking up the gentleman and taking him to his drug dealer.
Our client – who had no criminal record, but whose family does business in the Middle East – was denied bail and detained in custody pending the resolution of trial. Although our client’s account mirrored his friend’s account, his friend was allowed to plead guilty to being an “accessory after the fact” but our client was not and went to trial on first-degree murder.
RESULT: Our client was found not guilty of first-degree murder.