Murder trial of Gainesville man will hinge on law enforcement's pursuit of him, lawyer says - Gainesville Times
An ex-girlfriend of Christopher Sosebee testified in his felony murder trial that the man once told her he would rather die than go back to prison.
After serving three years, Sosebee, 32, had been released just several months before a fatal crash.
“He said they would have to kill him before he went back to prison,” Tiffany Franklin said on Wednesday.
The Gainesville man now faces life in prison if he’s found guilty of felony murder and first-degree vehicular homicide in the July 22, 2020 wreck that killed Brian Hayes, 48, of Gainesville.
Jurors heard Franklin’s testimony and opening statements during the first day of the trial.
Law enforcement said they were attempting to pull over Sosebee on Bethel Road when he sped off and landed on top of Hayes’ work truck.
“All this defendant had to do was stop,” prosecutor John Batchelor said.
Hall County Sheriff’s deputies were actually looking for another man when they were attempting to pull Sosebee over.
Defense attorney Jake Shapiro said during opening statements that the warrant was for a black Kia, while Sosebee was driving a black Chevrolet Equinox.
The focal point of the trial will be when and where the blue lights came on during law enforcement’s pursuit of Sosebee, Shapiro said.
Shapiro said the mistakes made by law enforcement played a part in this “tragedy.” He told the jury that Sosebee had been released from prison months before this wreck and lived in constant fear of being arrested again.
The prosecution called Hayes’s wife of 23 years, Melissa Hayes, as its first witness.
Melissa Hayes testified she saw her husband the day of the crash. Both had been at work, and Melissa Hayes was coming home. The two met at the intersection of Bethel and Britt Whitmire roads, stopping their cars beside one another to talk.
He greeted her with a “Hey, pretty lady,” telling her he had stopped by the house to get work supplies and to get in contact with the repairman for their oven.
The two told one another, “I love you,” before departing.
source: https://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/badge-bar/murder-trial-gainesville-man-will-hinge-law-enforcements-pursuit-him-lawyer-says/
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