Attorney: Blood spot links suspect to Macayo robbery

Kim Smith

Wednesday, May 9, 2001 | 9:55 a.m.

Chief Deputy District Attorney David Wall told jurors Tuesday that a small spot of blood proves Markus Weatherspoon was involved in a robbery last summer that left a Metro Police officer sightless in one eye.

The blood was found on the white, button-down shirt of a woman Weatherspoon and a co-defendant carjacked in the moments after they robbed a West Charleston Boulevard Macayo Vegas restaurant, Wall said.

Somehow Weatherspoon cut himself during the robbery or while Darnell Harris was shooting at Officer Pete Rossi, and that blood ended up on the shirt of Melissa Davis, Wall said.

Wall told the jurors the blood is just one of the pieces of evidence that will lead them to convict Weatherspoon of 14 charges he is currently facing.

Tuesday was the first day in Weatherspoon's trial. He is the first of five people connected with the June 14 incident to face a jury.

During his opening statement Tuesday, Wall took the jury through the evening of June 14 step by step.

Defense attorney David Amesbury waived his opening statement and is scheduled to give it later in the trial.

Wall told the jurors that Weatherspoon, Harris and Terrance Winn walked into the Mexican restaurant shortly after it closed at 11 p.m. The masked men robbed it, but when they left they encountered Rossi pulling up to the restaurant.

Harris fired two shots, Wall said. One hit Rossi's bumper and went into his tire. The second bullet struck his windshield and fragmented.

The fragments hit Rossi in the shoulder, chin and eyes, and he lost the sight in his left eye, Wall said. Rossi recovered from his injuries and is back on duty.

The three men then piled into the back seat of a sport utility vehicle being driven by Weatherspoon's girlfriend, Tamika Beavers, Wall said.

Beavers, however, panicked and ended up bailing out of the still-moving vehicle in a nearby parking lot, Wall said. He added that the others decided to get out of the vehicle as well and it ran into a curb and stopped.

Beavers hid out in a bar, Winn took off by himself and Harris and Weatherspoon carjacked Davis, who was just leaving work at a nearby Olive Garden restaurant, Wall said.

As police converged on Macayo's, Wall said Harris and Weatherspoon took Davis on a ride that ended near Rancho Drive and Bonanza Road, where she was kicked out of the vehicle.

At the scene, Wall said, the police collected a great deal of evidence.

Two weapons were found in the abandoned getaway vehicle along with fingerprints, Wall said. In addition, two shell casings found were eventually tied to the weapons.

Weatherspoon's prints were also found on a plastic coin cup found in the parking lot, Wall said.

The sports utility vehicle's registration led police to Weatherspoon. Police learned that a friend of Weatherspoon's, Kimberly Landrum, rented the vehicle, and the restaurant manager was able to pick Weatherspoon out of a photo lineup.

Wall said police were also able to tie the men to the incident through saliva found on the inside of the masks they wore during the robbery.

Weatherspoon and Harris face 14 counts each, including attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon, robbery, kidnapping and battery on a police officer.

Winn pleaded guilty to robbery with use of a deadly weapon and attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon last month. He was sentenced in March to 20 to 50 years in prison.

Beavers pleaded guilty to robbery with use of a deadly weapon and faces a 12- to 30-year prison sentence. She will be sentenced after testifying against Weatherspoon and Harris, who will go on trial next month.

Landrum pleaded guilty to embezzlement and was placed on three years' probation.