“I WAS SCARED”: Prosecution rests in Roberts trial as witness recounts shooting
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Day two of the Darryl Roberts murder trial, was a rather short one.
Roberts is charged with first degree murder in the September 2023 shooting death of Christopher Wright in front of Patten Towers.
Wednesday morning’s proceedings only lasted a little more than half an hour.
This was because the prosecution called one last final witness to the stand before resting their case.
Dylan Padgett was having a fun night out with his family at a downtown Chattanooga bar.
Darryl Roberts walking into his murder trial, charged in the killing of Chris Wright.
Padgett recalled, “After the fact I knew it was a shot but it was a loud, popping bang. I own weapons and I knew what it was… At that point, time kinda slowed down, and when I looked around, down to the street, that’s where I saw a man in a red shirt, standing over Chris.”
That is when he witnessed Chris Wright’s death, and this harrowing interaction with Darryl Roberts.
Padgett said, “When I looked down and saw, just the cavalier way that Mr. Roberts was walking away. I saw in the seconds after I looked around, that he had glanced up at where we were sitting. And when he turned around and walked away, it just struck me that this is a man that has done this before, and then I was scared.”
As the prosecution rested its case about the homicide, Roberts’ defense attempted to get a judgment of acquittal, arguing Roberts was provoked by Wright, who a friend testified had been drinking throughout that day
Public defender Mike Little argued, “You had a drunk man come up to two guys who were minding their own business… It all happened within minutes, and because of Mr. Wright’s actions, Mr. Roberts was not capable of cool and reasonable thinking.”
The prosecution says the video speaks for itself.
Prosecutor Andrew Coyle said, “That was an interesting resuscitation of the facts, and it also did not get into the fact that we have a defendant who stood up, grabbed a gun, walked several feet, aimed that gun at an individual’s forehead, pulled the trigger, and then walked away. The video alone is enough to go to this jury.”
Hamilton County Judge Boyd Patterson did not grant that judgement of acquittal.
Roberts’ defense did not have any witnesses they wished to call Wednesday, but still maintain the right to do so Thursday morning.
Otherwise, the case will go into closing arguments and deliberations, which if they don’t conclude Thursday, would resume next Monday after Easter weekend.
