BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – The second day of the Tremaine Lamar Jackson murder trial resulted in multiple key testimonies to jurors.
The jury heard testimony from the state medical examiner’s office, where the victim, Troy Williams, had his body autopsied. Williams is believed to have been killed due to a gunshot wound to the chest.
“The gentleman was pronounced in the emergency room due to trauma, which was from blood,” said State Medical Examiner Dr. Donald Pojman.
The West Virginia State Police Crime Lab examined the gun that was alleged to have shot Williams. A member of the lab told the jury that, based on forensics, bullets collected as evidence matched up to the gun in question.
“In my opinion, the fired bullets from exhibit 31 were fired from the Smith and Weston pistol, exhibit 14,” said Philip Cochran, with the West Virginia State Police Crime Lab.
The Beckley Police Department took photos of evidence at the scene outside of Pet Supplies Plus in Beckley. The jury was presented evidence from three different photographs: suspected blood from the victim, a bag from Walgreens where rock salt was purchased… and the rock salt that Jackson is suspected of passing off as methamphetamines to Williams prior to the shooting.
“They marked off the area in the parking lot,” said Beckley Police Department Detective Sergeant Morgan Bragg. “There wasn’t much to see, in honesty. There were some items on the ground.”
The jury also heard from a woman who says she was with Jackson the day of the shooting. She claims Williams said that he had a firearm on him.
“As far as I know, he said that he had a gun,” said Witness Araena Kersey. “Every time that he kept reaching, we assumed that he kept reaching for a gun.”
And the plan to “pull one over on Williams” by passing off rock salt as meth was organized in advance.
Defense Attorney Kris Kostenko: “Was this planned that day, or had you planned it just right then or that afternoon?”
“It was just right then and there,” Kersey said.
