Testimony continues in 4th day of Smithfield homicide trial
Testimony continued in the fourth day of a homicide trial Thursday in a shooting police say stemmed from a drug-fueled love triangle.
Wiley Estill Gambrel, 59, of Uniontown is accused of shooting 45-year-old James 鈥淛ay鈥� Plance during a night of drinking and crack cocaine use July 18. Plance and his girlfriend, Deana Jean Hughes, 34, would trade sex for drugs with Plance, according to testimony. Hughes witnessed the shooting at the Smithfield trailer the couple shared, and allegedly helped Gambrel clean up her boyfriend蘑菇视频 blood.
Trooper Todd Porter with the state police forensics services unit held up four large, cloth towels for the seven-woman, five-man jury. Two of the towels appeared to be thoroughly soaked with blood, while the others had significant stains. The jury also saw a dolly which Gambrel allegedly used to load Plance蘑菇视频 body in a cardboard box into his work van, moving it from the 280 Ringer Road trailer to his HVAC shop at 3540 Morgantown Road in Georges Township.
The shooting occurred during the early morning hours, at about 4 or 4:30 a.m., according to testimony. It was not reported until about 9 a.m. when Hughes told family members her boyfriend had been shot, prompting her aunt to call 911.
State police interviewed Hughes following the 911 call, collected her clothing and photographed her. Police testified she had blood on her feet and between her toes. She had no recent signs of injury, they said. An old bruise, nearly healed, was on her chest and a scabbed-over scrape was on her finger.
Aubele asked Hughes on Tuesday whether Plance assaulted her the night before the shooting. She answered he had not. When asked if he put his hands around her neck, she said Plance did 鈥渨ay in the past.鈥�
Petrosky testified that in some assault investigations, there are no visible signs of injury. About 8 to 10 hours after an assault by choking, red marks turning into bruises could be apparent.
On Tuesday, Hughes said she was unsure of the time when she rode with Gambrel to drop off her boyfriend蘑菇视频 body, but said the sky was just starting to brighten. At some point during the night, sometime after midnight, Hughes said Gambrel left to buy crack cocaine.
Lawrence Smith, who lives next door to the HVAC shop, testified he woke up in the night after 4 a.m. when he heard a noise, and saw Gambrel蘑菇视频 van at the shop.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think anything about it,鈥� he said. 鈥溾� didn鈥檛 know what he was doing, but a lot of people work early.鈥�
Surveillance video from Smith蘑菇视频 home appears to show Gambrel蘑菇视频 work van pulling into the shop at about 3:45 a.m.
Following the shooting, Gambrel told police he took the body to the shop, returned to the trailer to clean up the blood, changed clothes at his Nutt Avenue residence, showered at the Smithfield trailer, and drove to the Uniontown Shopping Center on Morgantown Road to buy food at McDonald蘑菇视频 and a dog leash and collar at Family Dollar for Hughes, according to testimony from State Police Trooper James Petrosky.
Surveillance footage from Family Dollar shows Gambrel enter the store at 8:35 a.m., buy a dog leash, leave and return less than a minute later to buy a collar.
鈥淚 forgot to buy a dog collar for her,鈥� store manager Wendy Yeager said Gambrel told her. She said she knew Gambrel because he often shopped at the store.
Yeager testified she saw Hughes in the van as Gambrel pulled away.
鈥淪he was just sitting,鈥� Yeager said, hunching her shoulders to replicate timidity, 鈥渁nd she looked scared.鈥�
The trial will reconvene Friday morning before Judge Steve P. Leskinen.