THE COURT: All right. Bring them back. (The jury entered the courtroom at 2:58 p.m.)

SHERRY LEE WILSON, being first duly sworn, testified as follows during DIRECT EXAMINATION by MR. HATFIELD:

Q    Would you state your name, please.

A    Sherry Lee Wilson.

Q    And where do you live, Ms. Wilson, just the neighborhood you live in?

A    Chippendale Trail.

Q    Is that --

A    Southeast Greensboro.

Q    Is that in Greensboro?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Do you know Ronnie Kimble?

A    Yes, I do.

Q    Do you know his wife, Kim Kimble?

A    Yes, I do.

Q    Do you know all of the family members, both Kimble and Stump, who've been mentioned in this trial?

1941

A    Yes, sir.

Q    What church do you belong to?

A    Monnett Road Baptist Church.

Q    And how long have you belonged to that church?

A    11 years.

Q    Now, would you consider yourself to be a very close friend of Kim Kimble's?

A    Yes.

Q    And at times since -- in recent years, since they were married, have you had occasion to live at Kim and Ronnie's trailer?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Would you tell the members of the jury the circumstances of that, please.

A    Ronnie was in the Marine Corps, and Kim didn't like to stay by herself, so I told her that I would come and stay with her, until he came home on the weekends. And then when he came home on the weekends, I went back to my house.

Q    Now, do you -- would you consider yourself to be just as close a friend to Ronnie Kimble as you are to Kim?

A    Probably. Most likely.

Q    And is that because of the longstanding membership in the church and participating in church activities?

A    Yes.

Q    When did you first make the acquaintance of Ronnie

1942

Kimble?

A    '84.

Q    And around that time, did you also become aware that he had a brother named Ted?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Do you know Ted Kimble?

A    Yes, I do.

Q    Would you classify yourself as a close friend of Ted Kimble's?

A    No.

Q    Have you socialized with Ted Kimble on any occasion?

A    Yes.

Q    When was that?

A    When I was younger.

Q    In church activities --

A    Yes.

Q    -- and things of that sort? Have you ever dated him?

A  No, sir.

Q    Okay. Now, did you know Patricia Blakley Kimble?

A    She was only an acquaintance.

Q    Is that because basically she had belonged to a different church group all through the years and -­

A    Yes, sir.

Q    And how did you first meet her?

A    Just with her coming to church maybe once with Ted, is

1943

the only time I ever saw her.

Q    Did you attend the marriage ceremony of Ted and Patricia?

A    No.

Q    Did you attend Kim and Ronnie's marriage ceremony?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Did you play a part in that ceremony?

A    Yes, I did.

Q    What was that?

A    I was the server for Kim.

Q    Now, have you ever been to Ted and Patricia's house?

A    No, sir.

Q    Do you know whether Ronnie Kimble and Ted Kimble were good friends?

A    They were friends, as far as brothers, but they weren't really close.

Q    Have you ever observed them engage in any activities together?

A    Just church stuff.

Q    You never seen them running around together or anything like that?

A    Not really.

Q    Did you ever observe Ted and Ronnie Kimble shooting target practice with rifles or anything like that?

A    No, sir.

1944

Q    Okay. Do you have any knowledge of Ted and Ronnie operating any motor vehicles or having any auto accidents or anything like that?

A    I don't remember the accident. I remember they both drove, but I didn't remember the accident.

Q    All right. Now, as a result of your friendship with Kim and Ronnie, did you meet some other Marines who were at the Marine Corps base at the same time Ronnie was?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Did you meet a young man named Justin Dobesh?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    And would you tell the members of the jury when you first met Justin Dobesh.

A    I met Justin Dobesh on August 26, 1995.

Q    And how do you remember specifically the precise date that you met him?

A    I wrote it down in a calendar that I have.

Q    Did you bring the calendar with you?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    That's a -- would you call it a diary or personal calendar, or what would you call it?

A    It's a little bit of both. It's more of a calendar than a diary, but I always write a lot of stuff down. (Mr. Hatfield showed an exhibit to Mr. Panosh.)

Q    May I have your diary for a moment, please.

1945

(The witness handed a document to Mr. Hatfield.)

Q    I show you what I've marked for identification Defendant's Exhibit 13 and Exhibit 14, and ask you to look at those.

A    Yes.

Q    Is 13 your diary?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Is it complete?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    And is 14 a copy of your diary?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    And as far as you know -- have you had a chance to look this over? Is it basically complete?

(Time was allowed for the witness.)

A    Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

MR. HATFIELD: Your Honor, I would move for the admission of 14, but I would like to hold onto 13, just in case she needs her diary back. I think they're identical.

THE COURT: The Court'll allow the introduction of Defendant's Exhibit Number 14.

Q    Now, if you'll keep 13 there, which has just been marked for identification, and I'll take 14. Did you indicate in your diary under August 26, 1995 that you met Justin?

A    Yes, sir.

1946

Q    Would you read the exact words you wrote in your diary.

A    "Going out with Kim and Ronnie. Met Justin. Had a blast."

Q    Now, I take it that that was the first time you ever met him --

A    Yes, sir.

Q    -- is that right?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    And looking through the pages of your diary, does it say on August 29, 1995 that you talked to Justin?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    And when is the next entry? Is there an entry on September 3rd --

A    Yes, sir.

Q    -- that -- September 3rd, what did you write?

A    "Justin's coming in. Didn't get to come."

Q    And when you -- what did the comment "Didn't get to come" mean?

A    He must have had something that he had to do, and he did not get to come in that weekend.

Q    All right. So do you know how many times, as of that _ date, that you had actually met him and been with him?

A    Just once.

Q    Just once?

A    On that Saturday, yes.

1947

Q    All right. Now, in the next week, you make a reference to Justin on September 5, '95, don't you?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Will you read that.

A    "Justin's leaving for Nebraska."

Q    And then is there another reference to Justin while he's in Nebraska?

A    No, sir.

Q    Do you make a reference to Justin on September 18th?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Would you read that.

A    "Justin getting back from Nebraska."

Q    Okay. And then on Friday, September 22nd, did you make a reference to Justin?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    What is that?

A    "Justin coming in."

Q    And what else do you say?

A    "Going to Southeast versus Grimsley game." But I didn't get to go, because I had to work.

Q    All right. So this calendar includes both future entries, when you're expecting to do something, and occasionally the outcome or the results of a particular entry; is that right?

A    Yes, sir.

1948

Q    So it's more than just a calendar, it's sort of a simple chronology of your activities?

A    That's correct.

Q    Now, the next day, September 23rd, do you make a reference to Kim and Ronnie?

A    Yes, I do.

Q    Would you read that.

A    "Went to Kim and Ronnie's house to watch a movie with them and Justin. Ronnie and Justin left about 9:30. Held hands for the first time."

Q    So when you say, "Held hands for the first time," is that a -- that's a reference to the degree of friendship that had developed between you and Justin?

A    Yes.

Q    Now, on September 30, 1995, which was a Saturday, is there a reference to Justin there?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    What does it say?

A    "Justin coming in. We went to La Bamba's with Kim and Ronnie."

Q    Okay. Now, do you know on September 30th how it happened that Justin got to Greensboro? Do you know what his transportation was?

A    He drove in that weekend.

Q    And do you know whether Ronnie was with him?

1949

A    No. I think Ronnie came in on Friday --

Q    So --

A    -- and then Justin.

Q    -- there were times when each of them would use their own vehicle to get from Camp Lejeune to Greensboro?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    And other times that they would ride together in the same vehicle?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Now, the next entry for Justin appears on October 6, 1995, doesn't it?

A    October 1st.

Q    Oh, I'm sorry. I must have missed one. On October 1st, would you read that entry.

A    "Homecoming at church. Justin went to church with me. Two rehearsals. And we went to the movies and kissed for the first time."

Q    So that Sunday, he went to church with you in the morning, went to the movies in the afternoon?

A    Yes.

Q    Kissed for the first time?

A    Yes.

Q    Do you know as of October 1 how many times previous to that on Sundays Justin had attended church services with you?

1950

A    Never.

Q    All right. Now, the next entry that involves Justin is October 6, '95, isn't it?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Okay. Would you read that to the jury.

A    "Wedding ensemble tribute to John Philip Sousa, 8:15. Southeast home game. Went out with Justin."

Q    Now, are you sure that you went out with Justin on October 6th?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    And do you know what mode of transportation Justin used to come to the Greensboro area then?

A    He drove his truck.

Q    And did anyone come with him?

A    No, sir.

Q    Do you know whether or not he brought Ronnie with him?

A    No, sir.

Q    You just don't know?

A    I don't know.

Q    Okay. Now, where did Justin spend Friday night?

A    With Kim and Ronnie.

Q    And so, do you know what time you saw him? Did you actually get a chance to go to that game with him?

A    No, not to the game. I saw him after work.

Q    Can you explain why you wrote "home game" and then

1951

"Went out with Justin." You didn't get to go to the game?

A    I just had made a note that there were a home game that night. I think I had planned to go, but I had to work. They called me in to work that Friday.

Q    Where was your employment at that time?

A    Cracker Barrel.

Q    And is that -- are you a waitress there?

A    No. I was a hostess.

Q    Hostess? Seating people? A Yes.

Q    It is a restaurant?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Now, I notice that on October 7th, you make reference to Angela's birthday, and that was Saturday, but you don't make any reference to Justin that day, do you?

A    That's correct.

Q    Did you see Justin on Saturday?

A    No, sir.

Q    Did you have any plans to see him on Saturday?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Can you explain to the jury what that was.

A    Our original plans were to meet after I got off work, but they -- somebody was unable to work that day, so they told me that I had to work longer. So they sent me home at 2:00 and told me to come back at 6:00. We had called, and I

1952

told him to come by on his way back to base. And we missed each other. In the process of me having to leave for work and him coming by, we missed each other.

Q    Did you know where you called Justin, in order to tell him --

A    I called him --

Q    -- that you --

A    I called him at Kim and Ronnie's.

Q    What time did you call him at Kim and Ronnie's?

A    Around 1:30 or 2:00, right before I got off work.

Q    And both Justin and Ronnie were present in the house at that time?

A    Yes, sir.

MR. PANOSH: Objection.

Q    Do you know --

THE COURT: Sustained.

Q    -- who else was present?

A    Probably Kim, but I'm not sure.

Q    Okay. And who did you talk to?

A    I talked to Justin.

Q    Did you talk to anybody else? Talk to Kim or Ronnie?

A    I don't remember who answered the telephone.

Q    Now, later on, while you were waiting to go back to sort of do the second shift of your job, did you get a chance to see Justin?

1953

A    No, sir.

Q    Now, was the following day a Sunday?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    What did you do on Sunday morning?

A    I went to church.

Q    And did Justin join you at church?

A    No, sir.

Q    Now, is -- did Kim and Ronnie join you at church?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    And the church that you all went to was Pastor Kimble's Monnett Road Baptist Church; is that right?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Now, is there any possibility that Justin was at church on Sunday and you just didn't see him?

A    No, sir.

Q    Now, at any other time on Sunday, the 7th of October -­or the 8th of October, I mean to say, did you see Justin?

A    No, sir.

Q    Well, can you explain how he could have possibly been in Greensboro and you not seen him at church?

A    There's no way.

Q    Now, are there any more references to Justin in this book?

A    Yes, sir, there are.

Q    When is the next reference to Justin?

1954

A    November 12th.

Q    Will you tell the jury what you put in your book on November 12th.

A    "Played pool with Kim, Ronnie and Justin in the rec center on base."

Q    All right. So that would have taken place where?

A    There's a recreation center on the base at Camp Lejeune.

Q    Down at Camp Lejeune --

A    Yes, sir.

Q    -- is that right?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Now, other than the times enumerated in this Defendant's Exhibit 14, are there any other times that you saw Justin Dobesh?

A    No, sir.

Q    So how many times did you date Justin Dobesh altogether?

A    Four or five.

Q    Now, did there come a time when you were asked by Detective Pendergrass about your knowledge of various individuals who were friends of Ronnie's down at Camp Lej eune?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    And until I became involved in this case, had anyone

1955

ever provided you with a copy of the statement that you may have given to Detective Church or Detective Pendergrass?

A    No, sir.

Q    So after they talked to you on March 11, 1997, they never gave you any copy of what they'd written down?

A    That's correct.

Q    Now, after March 11, 1997, did -- when was the next time you talked to those officers?

A    August 3rd or -- August 2, 1998.

Q    The day that this trial started in this courtroom --

A    Yes.

Q    -- is that right?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Now, back on March 11, 1997, did you tell those investigators that you knew Kim and you knew Ronnie and that you'd met some young man down at the base through Ronnie?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Did you tell them you knew a guy named James Allen Dziadaszek?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    And as a matter of fact, Mr. Dziadaszek is your current fiancee, isn't he?

A    Boyfriend.

Q    Boyfriend. And you've been going with him ever since Ronnie Kimble introduced you to him, haven't you?

1956

A    Yes, sir.

Q    And you also told them that you knew a person named Justin Dobesh; is that right?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    And did you explain to them why the relationship with Justin Dobesh didn't go anywhere?

A    Yes, I did.

Q    What did you tell them?

A    I told them that he wanted somebody who would put out, and I wouldn't do it.

Q    All right. So he wanted to make it into a serious relationship, and that was not what you wanted to do?

A    Yes.

Q    Now, when August 3, 1998 came, is it your testimony that nobody had ever given you a copy of your previous statement or ever asked you any questions about it or anything else?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    And then what happened?

A    They came to my house, and they asked -- they asked me if I knew who they were, and I said, "Yes, I do." They asked me if I could speak with them. I told them that I didn't have anything to say. And they continued to ask me questions.

Q    Was this at your house?

1957

A    Yes, sir.

Q    What time was it?

A    About 7:00, 7:30.

Q    Was anyone there with you?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Who was that?

A    My mother.

Q    Is she present in the courtroom right now?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Now, were your mother -- what were you and your mother planning on doing before you met Mr. Church and Mr. Pendergrass?

A    We were on our way to dinner.

Q    And did you get a chance to go?

A    Yes, we did.

Q    But did you get a chance to go exactly when you planned on going?

A    No, sir.

Q    Why not?

A    Because Detective Church and Detective Pendergrass were standing in my driveway.

Q    Would they let you leave?

A    No.

Q    What did they do?

A    I felt very intimidated by the way they approached me.

1958

They -- Detective Church stood in front of me, and Detective Pendergrass stood against my mom's car, and I was standing against my mom's car. I felt very intimidated.

Q    What did they want to know from you? Did either one of them tell you?

A    Not exactly. They wanted -- they were reading over my diary, and they wanted -- they told me that what I had said in my statement was not correct.

Q    Now, when they were referring to your statement, surely they were not referring to your diary?

A    That's correct. No, they weren't.

Q    Did they at any time tell you that there was something in your diary that was incorrect?

A    Yes.

Q    In your diary?

A    Well, not in my diary, just that the amount of times that I said that I had seen him.

Q    So were they accusing you of having misrepresented your diary?

A    Yes.

Q    Now, with regard to the statement, did they show you your statement of March 11, 1997, so that you could see what you had written there?

A    After I asked to read it.

Q    And so, standing out in front of your house, with your

1959

mother standing nearby, I assume --

A    Yes.

Q    -- you were allowed to read this statement for the first time?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Could you tell what it was about that statement that they disagreed with?

A    It was the date that I said that I had last seen him, and the amount of times that I said I had seen him.

Q    Now, when they were standing and talking to you, were you free to leave?

MR. PANOSH: Object.

A    I didn't feel --

THE COURT: Sustained.

A    -- that way.

THE COURT: Sustained.

Q    You didn't feel that you were free to leave?

A    No, sir.

MR. PANOSH: Object.

THE COURT: Sustained.

Q    So, will you explain to the jury how you felt while these two men were standing there and where they were standing and what made you feel the way you did.

MR. PANOSH: Objection.

A    I felt very intimidated.

1960

THE COURT: Overruled.

A    I felt very intimidated by the way they were standing and just -- they just kept asking questions, and I had already told him that I didn't want to talk to them.

Q    Now, why did you not want to talk to them?

A    I felt like I had told them everything that they needed to know.

MR. HATFIELD: No further questions.

CROSS-EXAMINATION by MR. PANOSH:

Q    Ma'am, on the first time that you spoke to them, did you mention the diary?

A    Yes, I did.

Q    You told them about the diary in March the 11th of '97?

A    Yes, I did.

Q    And you said that they were going over the diary with you. Did you give them a copy?

A    Not at that time.

Q    Did they have a copy in their possession?

A    Yes, they did.

Q    And in fact, they had obtained a copy from the defense, and they came to you, to ask you questions about it?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    And you're saying that in this prior statement on March the 11th of '97 --

A    Uh-huh.

1961

Q    -- you told them that you kept a diary?

A    Yes.

Q    Did you give them a copy?

A    No, I didn't.

Q    Did you show it to them?

A    No, I didn't. I didn't have it at the time.

Q    And the one thing that they were asking you about is, whether or not Justin Dobesh was in town on October the 6th and the days after that; is that right?

A    That's correct.

Q    And you gave them that information?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    And you didn't have to give them a copy of the diary, because they already had it?

A    That's correct.

Q    Now, Mr. -- or Kimberly Kimble actually knew Mr. Dobesh before you; is that right?

A    Yes, I think so.

Q    She introduced you?

A    Well, Ronnie introduced me.

Q    And when Ronnie introduced you, Mr. Dobesh was at their home?

A    Yes.

Q    And you were there visiting Kimberly?

A    Yes.

1962

Q    So, since you were aware of the fact that Mr. Dobesh was present on October the 6th, Kimberly would have known it, also?

A    Yes.

Q    You said that you lived with Kimberly Kimble?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    When was that?

A    November of '95 till April of '96.

Q    So that would have been shortly after the fire, or the death of Patricia and the fire, up until April of '96?

A    Yes.

Q    And you lived there in the trailer?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    And you lived there basically five days a week, when Ronnie wasn't there?

A    Yes.

Q    During that period of time, did Edna and Ronnie, Sr. live there?

A    No.

Q    You're certain of that?

A    Yes.

Q    Now, you were asked specifically on October the 6th of '95 how Justin got to Greensboro. First you said he drove alone, and then you said you weren't sure. Do you remember?

A    No, sir, I don't know.

1963

Q    When you said he drove alone, was there something you were referring to or thinking of?

A    Yes. We went -- when we went out, we took his vehicle.

Q    When was the time that you saw him prior to October the 6th?

A    October the 1st, that weekend.

Q    And you made mention of going to the movies?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    And you made mention of going to the movies on Sunday?

A    Yes, sir.

Q    Do you remember if that was in the evening or -­

A    It was afternoon.

Q    Do you remember when Justin left --

A    That evening.

Q    -- the Greensboro area?

A    That evening.

Q    What do you remember about that?

A    I just remember that we went to the movies and then he dropped me off at my house.

Q    Where was he going?

A    Back to base.

Excuse me?

A    Back to Camp Lejeune.

Q    Did he indicate whether or not he was going to make any stops?

1964

A    No, sir.

Q    Did he indicate whether or not Ronnie Kimble was going with him?

A    No, sir.

Q    When you say "No, sir," are you saying that Ronnie wasn't going with him, or you're not sure?

A    I'm not sure.

Q    Now, you said that you were better friends with Ronnie than with Kimberly; is that correct?

A    No. I'm better friends with Kim than Ronnie.

Q    And which one did you know first?

A    Kim.

MR. PANOSH: No further questions. Thank you.

THE COURT: Any additional questions?

MR. HATFIELD: No. Thank you very much.

THE COURT: Step down, ma'am.