During a post-disposition status hearing Dec. 3, an inmate testified that a murder defendant is innocent. However, the testimony contradicted statements the witness told authorities during the investigation.
In 2012, Rickey Pharr was found guilty of first-degree murder while armed for fatally shooting 31-year-old Angelo Jones after a dice game on the 5300 block of Dix Street, NE in two years earlier. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
The inmate, who was apparently at the shooting, said he never saw the defendant with a weapon. Furthermore, the inmate said the decedent began arguing with a group of about ten people who were also playing the game. The inmate said he saw Jones reach into his waistband while arguing with the group.
“I’m just here to let you know that this man [is] innocent,” the inmate said. “If I had said something [earlier], this man might not even be in this chair today.”
The inmate said he signed an affidavit that identified Pharr as the shooter because he did not understand what it said. The inmate said he had illiteracy problems and only signed the document because his attorney instructed him to do so.
According to court documents, a witness said Pharr, 34, approached the decedent and said he was armed. The witness reported hearing gunshots and subsequently observed the decedent lying on the ground. It is not clear if the inmate is the witness referenced in the documents.
The hearing continued on Dec. 4.
