A Jackson County jury wasn't convinced that Marlan Epps killed Brandon Fauntleroy-McDowel in a botched carjacking near Case Park in 2008.
The jury acquitted Epps, 21, on Friday, despite testimony from Epps' sister that her brother had confessed to accidentally killing the 25-year-old graduate student by shooting him in the leg, the Star reported. Epps had been charged with second-degree murder, robbery and two counts
of armed criminal action. However, authorities had no physical evidence linking Epps to the park. An eyewitness also couldn't ID the driver of the SUV after the shooting.
Fauntleroy-McDowel's 2002 Chevy Tahoe was stolen while he was cleaning trash out of the SUV near Case Park. Authorities found the SUV torched in Kansas City, Kansas. They also found a plastic cigar tip with Epps' DNA on it near the SUV.
However, the defense won out. Epps' sister, Jalicia Williams, reportedly lied to detectives several
times while being questioned. That shot holes in her testimony that her brother had accidentally shot Fauntleroy-McDowel while trying to steal his SUV for its wheels.
"You cannot rely on a liar," defense lawyer Curtis Winegarner reportedly
told jurors. "She admitted it, and you have to believe her to find
Marlan Epps guilty."
Ultimately, jurors didn't believe her and let Epps walk.
Comments (0)