THE COURT: Next witness, please.

MR. PANOSH: Christie Blakley, please. Your Honor, may Mr. Braswell be excused?

THE COURT: Any objection?

MR. LLOYD: We have no objection, Your Honor.

THE COURT: You're excused, Sir.

MR. PANOSH: Thank you.

CHRISTIE BLAKLEY, being first duly sworn, testified as follows during DIRECT EXAMINATION by MR. PANOSH:

Q    Would you state your name, please.

A    Christie Blakley.

Q    And you're married to Reuben; is that correct?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    On October the 9th of 1995, you were married to Reuben; is that correct?

A    Right.

Q    Did there come a time in the evening hours when you

received a phone call?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Would you tell the jury about that, please.

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A    That was from Ted Kimble. He asked if Reuben had paged him. I responded no, because I didn't --

MR. LLOYD: Well, Your Honor, we would object on the grounds previously raised, these statements by Ted Kimble.

THE COURT: Overruled.

A    I responded no, because I didn't know that Reuben had paged him. And I asked if he wanted to talk to Reuben and handed the phone to Reuben.

Q    Okay. Thereafter, did there come a time when you

accompanied Reuben to Patricia’s residence?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    And would you describe what happened when you got

there.

A    Okay. We drove up into the driveway. There was total darkness. Our lights were on in our vehicle, but other than that, there were no lights.

Q    Can you keep your voice a little bit up, please.

A    Yes. There were no lights on, other than the lights from our vehicle. We saw smoke in the garage area. Reuben went to the side door through the garage, felt the door, asked me to go to the front door and feel that, to see if there was heat. And there was. We came back to our vehicle, to try to call 911.

Q    What happened then?

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A    Like Reuben said, as far as the reception, there was

trouble getting through, but he did get through to 911. We then attempted to call his dad. We didn't do that. We couldn't reach him by phone, from our car phone. I went to Patricia’s car, to try to locate a phone.

Q    What happened when you got to the vehicle?

A    I searched the car for a phone, and did not find one.

Q    When you got in the vehicle, were the keys in the

ignition?

A    I do not remember.

Q    What, if any, light did you have to look through the vehicle?

A    The lights from the car.

Q    What do you mean by that?

A    From Patricia’s car, the overhead light that comes on when you open the door.

Q    The dome light --

A    Yes.

Q    -- the light on the ceiling?

A    Right. Uh-huh.

Q    Prior to you arriving there, and as you arrived there, could you tell whether or not that Patricia’s headlights were on --

A    No.

Q    -- on that Subaru?

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A    I said, there was total darkness, except for the lights from our vehicle. Because we thought that was strange, that there were no lights, not any outside lights on.

Q    When you looked in the vehicle, did you see her purse?

A    I don't remember seeing her purse. I was looking for

the phone specifically.

Q    Could you speak up.

A    I'm sorry. I was looking for the phone specifically, so I don't remember seeing the purse.

Q    And after you were unable to find the purse -- I mean Excuse me. After you were unable to find the car phone or a car phone, what did you do?

A    We got back into our truck. I remember that we tried to move our vehicle to different places in the drive, to get reception, and did not get that. I then asked if Reuben wanted me to go to his dad's house and get him. And I did that.

Q    And you returned to the fire scene?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    By the time you returned, was the fire department there?

A    Yes, sir. Some vehicles were on the other side of Brandon Station, but there were some on the other side, yeah.

MR. PANOSH: No further questions. Thank you.

177

THE COURT: Mr. Lloyd, Mr. Hatfield?

MR. HATFIELD: Yes, sir.

CROSS-EXAMINATION by MR. HATFIELD:

Q    Had you ever been in Patricia’s vehicle before?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    You'd ridden in it as a passenger?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Did she normally carry a pocket phone of some sort?

A    I don't remember that. I just needed a phone, and I was looking for a phone.

Q    Did you have any knowledge that the car was equipped with a so-called car phone?

A    I don't remember that there was a stationary car phone, but in my mind, I was looking for more of a portable phone, you know, cellular phone.

Q    So there was a car phone in Patricia’s car?

A    I don't know that. I just needed a phone.

Q    So -- I understand it was a terrible time and

A    Uh-huh.

Q    -- you were under stress --

A    Right.

Q    -- but do you recall whether her phone -- her car had its own automobile telephone?

A    No, I don't remember that. I don't remember that.

Q    But if it had, you would have tried to use it?

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A    Yes.

Q    Now, you say you don't recall whether the keys were in the ignition or not?

A    No, sir.

Q    And you don't recall whether her pocketbook was there?

A    No, Slr.

Q    So you don't recall looking in her pocketbook, to see if there was a pocket phone of some sort?

A    No, sir, I don't remember that.

Q    Well, do you know that she had a pocket phone?

A    No, sir.

Q    Even though you'd been with her a few times before, you just don't recall her having one of these kinds of phones --

A    Right.

Q    -- that you carry in your purse or pocket?

(Indicated. )

A    No. Right.

Q    Were you a member of the same church as Patricia?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Did you consider yourself a friend of hers?

A    Yes, sir.

MR. HATFIELD: I don't have any further questions.

THE COURT: You may step down, ma'am.

MR. PANOSH: No further.

THE COURT: Watch your step.

179

(The witness left the witness stand.)

THE COURT: You may stand and stretch, members of the jury, if you'd like.