Opening statements in murder trial pose different scenarios

Kim Smith

Wednesday, May 17, 2000 | 11:41 a.m.

"Plain and simple" greed led Darris Taylor to pump three bullets into a California man four years ago.

That's what jurors heard Tuesday during the opening arguments in the first-degree murder and robbery trial of the 26-year-old Taylor.

Deputy District Attorney Philip Brown told jurors that in late February 1996, Charles Melvin Rayford, 28, came to Las Vegas from Ontario, Calif., to help Taylor, an acquaintance of his.

Two days later, Rayford died after being shot three times in the head and face in his motel room on Fremont Street, Brown said. Fingerprints found at the scene belonged to Taylor and Taylor was found with Rayford's cell phone, clothes, necklace and Super Bowl XXX jacket.

Brown told jurors they will hear evidence that Rayford and Taylor had argued. Taylor had been dragging his feet about giving Rayford the drugs he had promised him in exchange for Rayford posting a surety bond for him, Brown said.

A bullet found in the ceiling of Taylor's room is the same caliber as the bullets found in Rayford's skull, Brown said.

Deputy Special Public Defender Dayvid Figler warned jurors, however, that there is an "absolute distinction" between fact and inference.

Opening statements are like movies, but "the movie just presented to you is not the movie you will see," Figler said.

Taylor and Rayford were friends and Rayford had spent some time at Taylor's house the evening before he died and just because someone leaves clothes at your house doesn't mean you killed them, Figler said.

If Rayford was killed for greed, then why was a $1,500 watch left on his body and money left in his wallet, Figler asked.

The evidence is going to show that Taylor was not at the motel when Rayford died, Figler said.

The trial is being heard by District Judge Mark Gibbons.

Kim Smith

covers courts for the Sun. She can be reached at (702) 259-2321 or by e-mail at kimberly@lasvegassun.com.