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Phillim Murder TrialBy TONY BAZZ1E Staff WriterJury deliberations have begun following the two-day trial of Douglas Ray Blevins, 23, of Coal City, who has been accused of the Nov. 13, 1976 shooting death of Timothy Levi Phillips at Phillips’ Midway mobile home.In testimony Thursday in theRaleigh told theCounty Circuit Court, Blevins told court he confessed to the murder only because his life had been threatened several times and he desired to be jailed.Blevins, who spent the night with Phillips the night of the murder, was a suspect in the case but had been released bv police the day of the killing because of a lack of evidence. He was formally charged with the murder Dec. 22 after telling Trp. D.G. Whisman of the Beckley state police detachment he had killed Phillips.IN HIS WRITTEN confession, the defendant allegedly explained he killed Phillips because Phillips was “messing'’ with his girl friend.The first person to be called to the witness stand Thursday was Dr. Jamil Atimed of Beckley, deputy medical ex-who performed an autopsy body the day of the killingAhmed, who estimated the time of death at between midnight and 2 a.m. Nov. 13, testified that death was caused by: a single gunshot wound to the head. Under questioning by John Wooton, assistant county prosecuting attorney, Alimed said tests he performed revealed the victim had little, if any, alcohol in his blood stream.Also called by the prosecution to teitify Thursday was Trp. G.C. Loar, who along with Trooper Whisman investigated the shooting.After the preliminary investigation, Loar said, Blevins became a suspect because he had spent the night at Phi lips’ trailer. Our biggest concern, Loar testified, was that he heard nonot implicate himself, he was released. Loar testified that in a telephone conversation with Blevins on Dec. 22, the defendant admitted. killing Phillips.Under cross - examination by the defense attorney, Franklin Cleckley of Morgantown, Loar said he had talked with Blevins on Dec. 23 at the Raleigh County jail. The trooper said that during the conversation, Blevins said he did not kill Phillips.Loar said he then inquired as to why the defendant had confessed to the killing, to which Blevins replied that he had been shot at twice and had received several threatening telephone calls and wished to be jailed for protection.BLEVINS, Trooper Loar testified, refused to be released on bond from the county jail, where he has been incarcerated since his December arrest.The state rested its case following the testimony of Jerry Phillips of Abney, a brother of the deceased, who said Timothy Phillips had dated Blevins’ girl friend, Sharon Ellis, on several occasions.The first witness called on behalf of the defense Thursday was Sharon Ellis of Sugar Grove, Va., formerly of Coal City, who said she was engaged to Blevins.Miss Ellis told the court she had dated Phillips previously, but had not since she and Blevins began dating. She and the defendant were to be married Dec. 4, 1976, according to testimony, and Phillips had agreed to serve as bestman.ftshot that night and could supply us withno information” about the shooting LOAR SAID a statement was taken from Blevins at the state police detachment, but because the defendant didMISS ELLIS testified that Blevins appeared to be nervous several weeks after the death, of Phillips, although the defendant did not mention that his life had been threatened.Also called to testify Thursday were Darrell Adkins of Coal City who said he, Blevins and a third person drank half a fifth of whisky the night of the killing, and Jerry Hodges of Daniels, who visited Phillips’ trailer the night of Nov. 12. Hodges said he stayed only about 30 minutes because Phillips was not at home.After taking the stand in his own defense Thursday afternoon, Blevins said he and Phillies were close friendsChurch OrderedTo MoveJulyBy RUTH SWATZYNA Staff WriterThe Church of the Bible Covenant must vacate its property at Whitestick and Temple streets by July 1, the Beckley Board of Zoning Appeals ruledWednesday.The board said the church is occupying property not in compliance with zoning rules for acreage and parking for a church. City Recorder - Treasurer Eve Breck said the church had been given several six - month extensions to find new property, the last of which was given in September.The Rev. Ben Watts, pastor, was toldto the common council that a 1971 zoning ordinance be amended to establish a category for rescue missions. It proposed that rescue missions be allowed in areas zoned for hotels, motels and tourist homes, but that parking space requirements be less than for other establishments.The decision was based on an appeal by the Rev. Marvin Gouge and Bill E. Hyatt Jr., representing the Haven ofMercy at 107 Johnstown Road, whichhad been told that their establishment was in violation of zoning requirements.and had never argued nor had a disagreement over Sharon Ellis.On Nov. 12, Blevins said, he was at Price’s Ashland service station at Coal City when Phillips arrived to buy some gasoline. The two got together and, after going to Phillips’ parents’ house, they went to the victim’s trailer at Midway, according to testimony.PHILLIPS then left to go to Charleston, the defendant testified, and during his absence, Blevins “drank some beer and played records.” Phillips returned to his trailer about 11:30 p.m. Nov. 12, the defendant told jurors, and the two drank a pint of whisky.Phillips remarked that he was too tired to take the defendant home that night, Blevins testified, so the defendant, without planning to do so, spent the night at Phillips' trailer. Blevins said he and Phillips went to bed around 1:30 a.m.The defendant said when he got up e next morning, he went into the tchen to make coffee, during which me a neighbor, Kim Farley, entered ie trailer because arrangements to go mtine had been made.The defendant said Farley asked “is this a joke?” to which Blevins allegedly replied that he didn’t know what Farley meant. It was then, Blevins told the court, that Farley informed him Phillips was dead.DURING HIS TESTIMONY, Blevins said he was told by Trooper Loar not to be alone because the person who killed Phillips might think Blevins knew his identity and try to kill him. ‘ 'He told me if I needed any help to contact him,” Blevins testified.Blevins said that while he was walking down an Abney road, a shot was fired at him on two occasions. The defendant said he also received three or four telephone calls telling him that he was “next.”Blevins said he then confessed to killing Phillips. The defendant said he told Trooper Whisman “they’re after me real bad” and that he wanted to beprotection. Whismanallegedly told Blevins he could be jailedBlevinsonly if he committed a crimekilledBLEVINS said that when Trooper Loar visited him in jail, the trooper asked his raison for killing Phillips. I said, ‘Trooper Loar, H didn’t do it. Isome:dant told jurors.Blevins said that during his confession. Trooper Whisman “put the words in my mouth,” actions which Whisman denied when recalled as a rebuttalwitness.Following a two-hour recess, jurors were instructed by Judge Kermit A. Locke to return at 7 p.m. Thursday to hear instructions and final arguments by the prosecutors, Wooton and William Haslam, and by the defense attorneys, Cleckley and Beckley attorney Brown Hugo Payne. A verdict is expected to be reached later today.The board also recommended that At- _
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Post Herald
Beckley, West Virginia, US
Fri, Mar 18, 1977
Page 22
Full Page
Clipped by
Elizabeth G.
AL, USA 05 Aug 2022
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