A Denver gang leader shot and killed a 22-year-old man in downtown Denver because of the color of a shirt the victim was wearing, a key prosecution witness testified Monday in the murder trial of Lamar Blackwell.
Cleus “Hus” Williams told a Denver District Court jury that he had gone with Blackwell to a hip-hop party at Club Beyond, in the Pavilions, on April 4, 2006.
He said that Blackwell, 29, known as “Lil Corn,” was offended by the red or maroon shirt Jerome Louis Martin was wearing, because those colors are often worn by members of the rival Bloods gang.
“I met ‘Lil Corn’ outside and he said, ‘We are going to do security.’ ‘Lil Corn’ said he was going to ‘merc’ him (Martin) – that means he was going to kill him,” Williams testified.
Denver deputy sheriffs and Denver police provided courtroom security as Williams, who is being held outside Denver for his own protection, testified.
Williams identified Blackwell as a leader of the gang.
Under cross-examination by defense lawyer Wilbur Smith, who represents Blackwell, Williams admitted he originally misled Denver police about the identity of the killer. He said he was fearful that Blackwell and the gang would target his family.
But he said he told the truth after he spoke to his wife and the police promised they’d protect and relocate his family.
Williams, who described himself as an “associate” of the Crips, said he and Blackwell followed Martin out of the club, just feet behind him. Then, he said, he saw Blackwell shoot Martin about four times from a distance of five feet.
They fled in Blackwell’s SUV but were captured by police after a high-speed car chase that ended when Blackwell’s car crashed into a police car.
Defense attorney Smith contends that it was actually Williams who killed Martin. But Williams, who said he was handed a gun by Blackwell moments before the shooting, said he shot the gun in the air because he didn’t want to hurt anyone. Prosecutors say ballistics tests show the fatal bullets came from the gun fired by Blackwell.
Staff writer Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
