Gang expert testifies in murder trial

Posted: Friday, March 19, 1999

JIM McBRIDE

Globe-News Courts Writer

The defense opened its case Thursday in the capital murder trial of Larry Donnell Davis with a gang expert's testimony**.**

Davis is charged in the Aug. 28, 1995, death of Barrow, 26.

Davis and four other defendants were charged in the slaying. Kristie Lynn Castillo, Donald Junior Drew, Raydon Doen Drew and a juvenile male were arrested and charged in connection with Barrow's death.

Barrow's parents found him dead in his home at 1409 Trigg St. He had been severely beaten and stabbed.

Barrow's house was robbed during the incident, and authorities later recovered some stolen items in local pawn shops and residences, police said**.**

Robert Walker, a former federal law enforcement and state corrections official, testified that Crips members usually wear tattoos on the right side of their bodies**.**

A rival gang, the Bloods, wears its tattoos on the left side, he said**.**

The prosecution presented pictures of Davis with a tattoo on the left side of his body that said, "Lil Artist" and "Crip**.**"

Walker also said gang members highly value their bandannas, or colors, and often must burn the bandanna if it becomes soiled**.**

Also, he said, a gang member would not abandon his colors at a crime scene or allow a rival gang member to take it**.**

Earlier testimony alleged that Davis tied the victim's hands with his bandanna, which was recovered from the crime scene**.**

"In my opinion, it would be disrespectful of his flag," he said**.**

Walker also testified that South Carolina requires confirmation of at least two gang-related factors before it will identify a person as a gang member**.**

A reported gang member identifying him or herself as a gang member would be an indicator, but at least one more indicator would be required before the agency would identify a person as a gang member, he said**.**

An Amarillo police officer earlier testified that the APD will identify a person as a gang member if they claim they are a member, but usually several factors are required to identify a person as a gang member**.**

The prosecution rested its case with the testimony of a Department of Public Safety forensic chemist**.**

Scott Williams testified about shoe imprints lifted from the crime scene and the victim's body**.**

Williams testified that two shoe imprints found in the home matched the defendant's shoe imprint**.** Another imprint found on the victim's body was consistent with Davis' shoe print, but Williams testified said he could not conclusively match the prints because he could not exclude similar shoes from having made the print**.**

The curvature of the victim's body also could have distorted the image, making a match identification difficult, he said**.**

Cpl**.** Steve Powers, an Amarillo Police Department gang expert, earlier testified about gang activity in Amarillo and characterized the Crips as a violent, profit-motivated street gang**.**

Powers also testified that Amarillo police have various factors to identify a gang member, but he said Amarillo authorities will identify a person as a gang member if they state that they are a member**.**

Also Thursday, Mary Cornelius, the suspect's ex-wife, testified about details of the slaying that Davis reportedly told her while he was in the Randall County Jail**.**