A federal jury is deciding whether a Supermax inmate planned the deadly stomping of a fellow prisoner or whether he unexpectedly killed him in the heat of passion.
Dominic Stewart is accused of planning the killing of Gregory Joiner while the two were housed in a lower-security area of the ultra-high-security prison in May 2005.
Prosecutor Susan Knox told jurors during closing arguments Wednesday that Stewart had bad blood for Joiner, whom he perceived as a threat, and that he is guilty of first-degree premeditated murder.
“I had to kill him; otherwise he would be clowning me that I was not a real killer,” Stewart allegedly said to James Duckett, another inmate who was involved in the deadly assault on Joiner.
“Well, ladies and gentleman, he is a real killer,” Knox told the jurors about Stewart. “He got his wish.”
Stewart is serving a life sentence for a second-degree murder he committed in Washington, D.C.
At first, Duckett helped Stewart fight Joiner and held Joiner in a headlock while Stewart beat him, according to a plea agreement Duckett arranged with prosecutors in exchange for his testimony.
Duckett eventually let go of Joiner, but Stewart kept stomping on him until he was dead, prosecutors allege. Duckett has pleaded guilty to assault but has not been sentenced.
Stewart’s attorney, Thomas Hammond, raised doubts about Duckett’s testimony and the quality of the evidence collected at the scene.
Felisa Cardona: 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com
