Ramel Troy

• First-degree murder trial of Ramel Theodore Troy opens Monday morning in 2002 pistol death of Chase Powell, 19, of Whiteville.

By BOB HIGH
Staff Writer

It took seven days to seat 14 jurors to hear evidence in the first-degree murder trial of a Clarkton man charged in the 2002 slaying of Chase Powell, a 19-year-old from Whiteville.

Seventy-one potential jurors were questioned before the final one was selected at 12:45 p.m. Wednesday. The trial will begin Monday.

Twelve jurors were chosen by Tuesday evening, and two alternates were selected Wednesday. Superior Court Judge Gregory Weeks will spend much of today (Thursday) ruling on motions by Ramel Theodore Troy’s defense team to suppress evidence gathered by the state, including some taped telephone conversations from the Horry County, S.C., jail.

Jurors are ordered to report at 9:15 a.m. Monday for what is expected to be at least a week of evidence presented by assistant district attorneys Lee Bollinger and Chris Gentry.

Creditability issue

The 24-year-old Troy was arrested in March 2005 for the March 2002 killing of Powell. Terrence Tyrell “Nut” Burden, 26, also of Clarkton, is Troy’s co-defendant in the Powell killing. Burden’s case is pending.
Troy’s defense attorneys Rick Miller and Kevin Peters continually broached the term “creditability” regarding some of the witnesses scheduled to testify for the state.

Jurors also told the defense they understood Troy is presumed innocent since he pleaded not guilty, and it’s the state’s burden to prove otherwise.

Bollinger, in questioning of potential jurors, asked several questions regarding a juror’s ability to listen to testimony offered by a person with a criminal record who might also be involved in the case.

Jurors assured the state they would be able to consider such testimony without automatically disregarding statements made by a witness with a shady past.

Peterson to testify

Corey Michael Peterson, 29, who has Whiteville and Clarkton addresses, will be a crucial witness for the state. Peterson is serving a prison term of 71 to 95 months for armed robbery after he went to prison from this county in September 2006.

Peterson’s sentence was activated after he agreed to testify truthfully about what he knows about the Powell murder. The state agreed that in return for his truthful testimony Peterson would not be indicted as an accessory after the fact in the killing.

Peterson is one of three males who robbed the Sam’s Pit Stop store in Hallsboro in December 2004.

Ninety-five jurors were divided into panels of 12 last week. Six panels were summoned. Forty-seven jurors were dismissed “for cause” – reasons ranging from knowledge about the case to knowing the defendant, potential witnesses or the victim’s family.

The state used seven of its eight challenges to remove potential jurors, and the defense used three.