The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A POLICEMAN from the USA presented a DVD recorded interview, allegedly of himself and a teenage girl concerning the 2009 murder of her mother, Anna Garrison.

However, Elliot Lockhart, attorney for 19-year-old Madison Pugh objected to the "admissibility of the DVD and its content" on the basis that the interview was taken under "oppressive circumstances".

The objection prompted prosecutor Ambrose Armbrister to ask Justice Roy Jones to excuse the jury until the legal issue was resolved.

Private discussions are continuing though a ruling on them is expected to be given during the afternoon session of the trial.

Pugh, who is Anna Garrison's daughter, and Zyndall McKinney, 25, Pugh's former boyfriend, are accused of killing Garrison, who disappeared in February 2009 only to be found in a graveyard on the eastern Road on July 4, US Independence Day, 2009.

McKinney is from Marathon Estates. Pugh is from Pennsylvania, USA. Anna Garrison was living in the Bahamas at the time of her death.

She was found dead in multi-coloured sheets that covered up her decomposed body.

McKinney and Pugh each deny a charge of murder.

Yesterday, Todd Hershey, a Pennsylvania State Trooper, took the witness stand to tell the jury of his involvement with the murder investigation.

Mr Hershey told the court that on Monday, July 6, 2009, he had received a call from Assistant Superintendent of Police Leon Bethell about the discovery of Anna Garrison's body.

The officer said he had spoken with the girl's biological father "Mr Pugh" to have the teenager, 16 at the time, come in to the police station to answer "a few" questions.

He told the court that the interview was recorded and a statement was taken.

Prosecutor Armbrister asked the officer if he or any other officers threatened the accused, made promises, or offered inducements for a statement and he replied: "No."

When Mr Lockhart rose from his seat to cross-examine, he instead stated his objection to the DVD being entered into evidence, which sparked more than three hours of private discussions between counsel and the judge.

The trial resumes this afternoon at 2.30pm before Justice Jones after the conclusion of the closed discussions.