Street Justice (Jessie Black Legal Thrillers Book 13) by Larry A. Winters

Author:Larry A. Winters [Winters, Larry A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Larry A. Winters Books
Published: 2025-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

26

“The Commonwealth calls Detective Emily Graham.”

Graham walked to the stand, and her eyes met Jessie’s briefly. Jessie read her friend’s mood in the set of her shoulders. Focused. Determined. Maybe a touch of nerves underneath, but Graham would never show it on the stand.

Graham settled into the chair and looked directly at Jessie.

“Detective Graham, could you state your occupation for the record?”

“I’m a homicide detective with the Philadelphia Police Department, currently assigned to the joint FBI-PPD task force investigating Peter Summer’s murder.” Graham’s tone was all business—even the gallery stopped rustling.

“How many years have you worked Homicide?”

“Eight.”

“And approximately how many homicide investigations would you say you’ve led during that time?”

“Maybe eighty to a hundred as lead investigator, another forty or fifty in a supporting role.”

As Jessie moved closer to the witness stand, she had to fight against being lulled by the comfortable rhythm they’d developed over years of friendship. Staying sharp was critical with Rocha studying every word.

“When were you assigned to investigate Peter Summer’s homicide?”

“I was dispatched to the scene at approximately 7:15 AM on December 17th. Mr. Summer had been pronounced dead at 7:02.”

“What did you observe upon arrival?”

“The body had already been transported by the time I arrived. First responders reported two gunshot wounds to the chest. Wallet, phone, and watch still on him—ruled out robbery immediately.”

“What initial steps did you take in your investigation?”

Graham shifted slightly, settling into the narrative. “Standard protocol for a shooting. Secured the scene, initiated witness interviews, requested camera footage from the hotel and surrounding businesses. Called in additional units to canvas the area. Reviewed the scene documentation from the first responders and ME’s Office.”

“What did the witnesses report?”

“Multiple witnesses described seeing someone in a dark hoodie and sunglasses positioned across the street from the hotel entrance. At approximately 6:57 AM, this individual raised what appeared to be a handgun and fired two shots at Mr. Summer as he exited the hotel. The shooter then fled the scene immediately.”

“Were witnesses able to provide a detailed description of the shooter?”

“No. The shooter wore clothing designed to obscure identity—dark hoodie, sunglasses, nondescript pants. Also, the sun hadn’t fully risen yet. Nobody could give us race, age, distinguishing features. Not even gender.”

Jessie retrieved the evidence bag from earlier. “Detective Graham, I’m showing you what’s already been admitted as Commonwealth Exhibit 11. Do you recognize this?”

“These are the two bullets Dr. Reyes recovered from the victim. Holt and I took custody of them after the autopsy.”

“Special Agent Bryson Holt is your FBI counterpart in the task force?”

“Yes.”

“What did you and Agent Holt do after taking custody of the bullets?”

“Transported them directly to the FBI ballistics lab for analysis.”

“What was the purpose of that analysis?”

“To determine the specific weapon that fired these bullets, which would later be compared to any suspected murder weapon we recovered.”

“We’ll come back to the bullets in a moment. First, can you please tell the jury what other evidence you gathered during the initial phase of investigation?”

“Video footage. The Marriott’s security system captured the victim leaving the hotel and the shooting itself.

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