Secoriea Turner: Opening statements in murder trial, detective takes stand
Secoriea Turner: Wrap of Day 1 of trial
Atlanta Police Detective Jason Teague, the state?s first witness, told jurors the 1200 block of Pryor Road had become tense in the days before the shooting.
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Opening statements began Wednesday in the trial of Julian Jamal Conley, the man accused in the 2020 shooting death of 8-year-old Secoriea Turner.
Atlanta police detective takes stand on first day
What we know:
Jurors heard vivid descriptions Wednesday of the moments leading up to the death of 8-year-old Secoriea Turner, as prosecutors opened their case against Julian Jamal Conley, accused of firing the shot that killed her on Independence Day 2020.
FULL: Secoriea Turner murder trial day one
Opening statements and the state's first witnesses began Wednesday in the trial of Julian Jamal Conley, the man accused in the 2020 shooting death of 8-year-old Secoriea Turner.
Prosecutors allege Conley, a suspected gang member, fired an AR-15-style rifle into the Jeep carrying Turner and her family. "Mama, mama have been shot," a juror heard in a recording as prosecutors played back the moment eight bullets were fired into the vehicle. They argued Conley "consciously, intentionally" aimed at the family’s Jeep.
The state told jurors they have evidence placing Conley at the scene, dressed in red, and accused him of "consciously, intentionally" pointing his rifle at the Jeep as it drove past a makeshift barricade.
Defense attorneys countered with a different version of events. They said witnesses, including Turner’s mother, described the shooter as wearing all black — "dressed like a cop" or "like a bounty hunter" — not red.
Was Secoriea Turner targeted?
Atlanta Police Detective Jason Teague, the state?s first witness, told jurors the 1200 block of Pryor Road had become tense in the days before the shooting.
Atlanta Police Detective Jason Teague, the state’s first witness, told jurors the 1200 block of Pryor Road had become tense in the days before the shooting. "People start showing up carrying long guns, walking in the area, blocking the street and confronting vehicles. If they pass through," Teague said, describing the atmosphere near the Wendy’s where protests had followed the police killing of Rayshard Brooks.
Conley, dressed in gray as he sat at the defense table, is charged with malice murder, felony murder and gang-related offenses. His trial, underway at the Fulton County Courthouse, is expected to last about two weeks.
Turner’s mother was present in court Wednesday with her civil attorneys. The family has a pending lawsuit against the city of Atlanta.
Death of Secoriea Turner
The backstory:
Turner was killed on July 4, 2020, while sitting in the back seat of her mother’s Jeep near a protest site at a Wendy’s in southwest Atlanta.
The fast-food restaurant had been the center of weeks of demonstrations after police fatally shot Rayshard Brooks. Prosecutors say armed groups were blocking nearby roads when Turner’s mother tried to drive through the area. Investigators allege Conley fired an AR-15-style rifle, striking Turner in the head. She later died at a hospital.
Detective testifies in Secoriea Turner case
Opening statements are set to begin Wednesday in the trial of Julian Jamal Conley, the man accused in the 2020 shooting death of 8-year-old Secoriea Turner. Turner was killed on July 4, 2020, while sitting in the back seat of her mother?s Jeep near a protest site at a Wendy?s in southwest Atlanta.
Conley was indicted in 2021 on multiple charges, including malice murder, two counts of felony murder and gang-related offenses. His trial, which began with jury selection Monday at the Fulton County Courthouse, is expected to last about two weeks.
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Earlier this month, co-defendant Jerrion McKinney entered an Alford plea — a type of guilty plea in which a defendant maintains innocence but concedes prosecutors have enough evidence for conviction. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
What's next:
The trial is expected to last for the next two weeks.