Day 2: Defense calls first witness in Zach Adams hearing
HARDIN COUNTY, Tenn. — On day two of the Zach Adams hearing, Judge Brent Bradberry ruled the interview recording of Jason Autry’s recantation inadmissible. This comes after the state questioned the reliability of his statement.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Day 1: Witness sequestered in Zach Adams’ post-conviction hearing
Tuesday, we visited the Hardin County Courthouse where Zachary Adams, the man found guilty of first-degree murder, rape and kidnapping of Holly Bobo, appeared for the second day of his post-conviction hearing.
Opening statements were heard from both the prosecution and the defense.
“What they can’t do is keep the state from putting on the incriminating evidence that continued to pile and continued to pile against their client,” said Amy P. Weirich, prosecutor.
“Innocent men and Mr. Adams was found guilty in this court. This is the nightmare our system tries to prevent,” said Doug Bates, defense attorney.
The defense called their first witness to the stand, retired U.S. Marshall John Walker. Judge Bradberry allowed the witness to testify as an expert on 2G cell tracking.
Walker detailed how he developed a route of Bobo’s movements on the day of her murder by tracking rural cell towers.
“For 8 months, they [TBI] said she was taken down and thrown in the river. They said she was taken down and thrown in the river. And I said, that is not accurate. That phone never went. There is a cell tower down by the river on the west bank about a mile off the river that that phone never registered on that, so she never went down to the river at all,” said Walker.
Bobo’s remains were found in a wooded area near the last location that her cell phone pinged a tower. During the prosecution’s cross examination, Walker detailed his visit with Terry Britt, a previous suspect.
“I’m just there to see if he wants to work out a deal with TBI. That’s all. Does he want to talk to keep his wife from being charged with a criminal charge. He [Terry Dicus] said, ‘Tell him what we know about him, see if he wants to work out a deal,’ and once I went through the details of what we knew about how he’s involved in the case, he admitted to it,” said Walker.
The prosecution argued that neither Terry Dicus, nor U.S. Marshal Walker, were actively on the case at this time.
The first half of the second day of the hearing concluded with a tape recording of a conversation where Walker detailed his findings with TBI officers Mark Lewis and Mike Frizzell.
Tune in to WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News at 10 p.m. for the testimony from the defense’s second witness, Dylan Adams.
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