Defendant admits robbery attempt
outside Seahorse
Ford claims he
never intended to hurt anyone
By MARTI GOODLAD HELINE
Tribune Staff Writer
SOUTH BEND
-- Terrance Ford told a jury Wednesday he never intended to shoot anyone
early July 27.
Ford admitted to attempting to rob four men near the Seahorse II Cabaret
Bar, 1902 W. Western Ave.,
but said things did not go as he anticipated.
Ford, 29, of South Bend, is on trial in
St. Joseph Superior Court for murder, robbery and felony murder in the
shooting death of Duraron Harris, 21, of Ypsilanti, Mich.,
formerly of Benton
Harbor.
The jury is expected to begin deliberations today after the lawyer's
closing arguments.
Ford testified he took Earnest Pinkney's gun
with him as he and Frank Stokes walked near the Seahorse. The reason they
were there, Ford said, was that Stokes wanted to meet up with some women he
believed were in the area.
Ford testified that he, Pinkney and Stokes had
spent most the night of July 26 to 27 driving around trying to find someone
to rob.
After several ideas for a robbery fell through, the group ended up near
the Seahorse, Ford said under questioning by his lawyer, Ernest Galos.
At least twice, Stokes and Ford walked past a group of four men standing
around talking at a car parked near the bar, which had just closed.
"I told them to get down on the ground," testified Ford,
adding that he pulled out the gun at the same time.
The men did not comply, Ford said. One man quickly ran off and another
ran around the car and threw a glass beer bottle at him, before taking off
down an alley, he said.
The bottle hit his head and beer splashed in his face, said Ford, indicating
he became upset.
Ford said when he turned around Harris, who was standing close to him,
was taking off his gold necklace, which Ford said Harris tossed to him.
"I didn't ask him for it," Ford emphasized. Ford said he
batted the chain over to Stokes, who was standing behind him.
Still upset, Ford said, he took the gun and struck Harris with it across
the forehead. The blow apparently caused the gun to discharge, Ford said.
Harris was killed by a shot through his right eye.
Scared by the gunshot, Ford testified he and Stokes ran back to the car
where Pinkney was sleeping and drove off.
Ford testified he told his wife that night he didn't know if the man was
hurt by the shot.
He added that he knew Harris was not the man who had thrown the bottle
at him.
Ford, who now has very short hair, said that on July 27 his
shoulder-length hair was in long braids, as witnesses to the shooting have
testified.
On cross-examination by Deputy Prosecutor Scott Duerring,
Ford maintained he did not ask for the necklace and had only wanted cash
from the men because jewelry's "not worth it."
Before Ford testified Wednesday, the jury heard from South Bend police Lt. Steve Richmond
about a 2 1/2-hour interview he had with Ford three days after the robbery.
Ford began denying any knowledge of the shooting, Richmond testified,
then claimed he was a witness and ended up owning up to some of what
happened about two-thirds of the way into the interview.
The jury also heard an audio tape of a second statement Ford voluntarily
made to police a couple of days later. In it, he more fully admitted what
happened.
Ford claimed he never saw the necklace again. Police never recovered the
handgun used in the slaying.
Stokes, who testified against Ford on Tuesday, is awaiting sentencing on
his guilty plea to robbery resulting in serious bodily injury.
Pinkney is serving a 65-year sentence after
being convicted of felony murder in November.
Staff writer Marti Goodlad Heline:
mheline@sbtinfo.com
(574) 235-6327
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