A Lowndes County jury will likely begin deliberating the capital murder case of a Columbus man today.
The state rested its case Wednesday afternoon against 39-year-old Derrick Bankhead, who is charged in the July 2011 shooting death of his physically disabled cousin, Eddie Bankhead, 35. The defense opted not to put any witnesses on the stand.
Closing statements are scheduled to begin in circuit court this morning. Though it is a capital murder case, District Attorney Scott Colom said Bankhead is not eligible for the death penalty because of an intellectual disability.
Bankhead and three others are charged in the death of Eddie Bankhead, who was shot in his College Street home during an armed robbery.
In court Wednesday, the state showed the jury a video of Derrick Bankhead’s statement after the shooting to former Columbus Police Department Chief Selvain McQueen — who was a lieutenant at the time — in which he said he did not participate in the robbery. Instead, Bankhead told police he happened to be at the house where the robbery took place and that he ran when he saw two armed men with bandannas on their faces run past him into the victim’s house.
“When I saw them, I threw my hands up and took off,” the defendant said in the video.
Bankhead said he ran to his niece’s house on 19th Street and no one was home. Michael Ross, 36, another suspect in the case, then picked him up in a car. Two other suspects, Omar Beard, 33, and Cortez Williams, 31, were in the car at that time.
In the car, Williams said he thought he’d hit the victim, Bankhead said in the video. The others in the car said they hoped he hadn’t.
In the video, Bankhead admitted he had planned to rob the victim, who reportedly dealt cocaine, but had later changed his mind. The night of the robbery, he and Ross had already been by Eddie’s house to purchase cocaine.
“I was at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Bankhead said in the video.
McQueen also testified at the trial. He said that when he took Bankhead’s statement, he did not believe the suspect was being honest the whole time.
Ross testified in Bankhead’s trial Tuesday, saying the defendant had set up the robbery and was only pretending to buy cocaine so that he could get the door to the victim’s house open. That would allow Beard and Williams to run in and grab the cocaine they wanted to steal.
Ross is also facing a capital murder charge in the case. His trial is set to begin Nov. 14.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
