A special interactive report brought to you by journalnow.com
A Special Report
THE ATTACK AT THE SILK PLANT FOREST
NAVIGATION
PROJECT TOOLBAR
Part Four: The Trial
The injured victim nods yes
Prosecutor Eric Saunders said recently that as the trial date drew close, he believed he had a solid case against Kalvin Michael Smith, the man accused in the brutal beating of Jill Marker inside the Silk Plant Forest store on Dec. 9, 1995.
Still, there were issues with which the prosecution would have to contend.
There was no physical evidence to link Smith to the beating. Also, Marker was mute and partly paralyzed from her injuries. She had answered general questions about the attacker by nodding and shaking her head, which led police to focus on a black suspect, but according to police reports she had not yet identified Smith as her attacker.
And Eugene Littlejohn, the only witness who would testify that he was with Smith at the scene, had given such inconsistent accounts that he didn’t inspire much confidence.
Detective Don Williams, the lead investigator, said in a recent interview that Littlejohn showed up drunk for his final interview with the prosecutor, shortly before the trial.
