Case of Union student accused of killing fiancée bound over to the grand jury
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DOWNTOWN JACKSON — The case of a 21-year-old Union University student accused of killing his fiancée was bound over the grand jury on Thursday afternoon. The courtroom was packed during the nearly two-hour long preliminary hearing of Charlie Pittman. Investigators say Pittman killed his fiancée and classmate Olivia Greenlee, 21, in February. Taking the stand was Ron Pugh, a Jackson Police department investigator, who said during his testimony that Pittman changed his story of what happened on the night Greenlee went missing two times. Pittman originally told investigators Greenlee dropped him off after the two ate dinner and sped off in her car. After another round of questioning, Pittman told investigators he was in the car with Greenlee when she took a handgun, later identified as a gun owned by Pittman’s roommate, and shot herself. Pugh testified that the only time he saw Pittman show any emotion was when Pugh confronted Pittman about an inconsistency in the story about he was wearing during his last meal with Greenlee. On the stand, Pugh said during the moments where was Pittman was describing what he said were Greenlee’s last moments alive, he was faking emotion and trying to force tears. According to an audio recording of Pittman’s second statement, Pittman and Greenlee sat in her car outside of Luther Hall where he tried to talk her out of committing suicide. After a while, Pittman said he told Greenlee “I love you so much” and “do whatever you feel is right” before he placed the handgun on the floor of her car. Pittman then says he closed his eyes, but felt Greenlee reach for the gun and heard the single gunshot. Pittman had been undergoing mental evaluations for the last few months and was just deemed competent to face this hearing. Ryan Keaton, another roommate of Pittman, testified that the entire time Greenlee was allegedly missing, Pittman showed no emotion and acted as though he was in a state of shock. Pittman is formally charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Pittman will return to court on Oct. 6.
