Update: Jury deliberating in trial of man accused of trying to kill informant

 Hill
Hill

Tuesday 3:20 p.m. update The jury began deliberating the attempted murder trial of Lasaba Hill on Tuesday afternoon.

Tuesday 11:47 p.m. update The state has rested in the attempted murder trial of Lasaba Hill. Hill is accused in Washington County Circuit Court with trying to kill a confidential informant.


Earlier

A trial began Monday for a Fayetteville man accused of trying to kill a confidential police informant last summer.

Lasaba Hill, 42, is charged with attempted capital murder, second-degree battery, intimidating an informant, stalking, being a felon in possession of a firearm and delivery of methamphetamine. He's also considered a habitual offender.

Legal Lingo

Confidential Informant

A person who provides information about criminal activity to law enforcement officers. The identities of these individuals are privileged in order to protect them against retribution from those involved in crime. Statements made by a confidential informant are testimonial in nature and may not be offered by the government to establish the guilt of an accused absent an opportunity for the accused to cross-examine the informant.

Source: uslegal.com

"No witness, no case. Those were the defendant's words," Amy Driver, deputy prosecuting attorney told jurors in opening statements Monday. "I expect you're going to hear a lot about drugs, guns, threats and violence, not something you'd expect to hear every day in Washington County."

Prosecutors said they filed the attempted capital murder charge because Hill's premeditated and deliberate purpose was to kill the confidential informant and he took substantial steps to do so.

Hill faces 10 to 40 years or life in prison if he is convicted of attempted capital murder.

The defense contends Hill was set up by a paid informant.

"Mr. Hill didn't batter him, didn't have a gun and most assuredly didn't tell him not to come to court," Scott Parks told jurors. "You will not hear a drug transaction on that tape."

Prosecutors said the confidential informant bought what was supposed to be a gram of methamphetamine from Hill in October 2013. The meth weighed one-half gram and had been cut with something else. The two men lived in the same apartment complex on West Holly Street, near Oak Plaza and Harps, at the time.

Hill was arrested in April for intent to deliver meth. In June, Hill learned the confidential informant's identity from documents being prepared for his case. Hill started going to the informant's apartment, harassing and threatening to kill him, according to testimony.

"I was getting threats every time he came through there," the informant told jurors Monday. "He said he was gonna kill me for snitching, for setting him up. It scared me."

On July 28, the situation came to a head when the informant says Hill attacked him on the balcony at the apartment complex. He said Hill grabbed him and threw him down before telling his wife to bring a gun. The informant said Hill's wife brought a backpack and Hill retrieved a semi-automatic handgun from it and hit the informant in the head with the gun.

The informant broke free, jumped over the rail and ran toward Oak Plaza with Hill in pursuit, trying to clear the gun that had malfunctioned. The informant lost his shirt, hat and a shoe during the tussle.

"If it'd been a revolver, he'd have shot me," the informant said.

Police found a bullet near a gap in the fence where the informant told them Hill had been trying to clear the weapon, according to testimony. The gun was never found and prosecutors said they believe a family member got rid of it.

Police found and arrested Hill at the nearby Harp's store on Garland Avenue. About five officers searched the grocery store and several nearby businesses while firefighters searched the tops of several buildings but no gun was found.

Melinda Ringold, a neighbor, testified Monday she called police because she heard fighting outside her apartment. She said a man was yelling he was going to kill another man. She said she saw through a window Hill holding the informant by his shirt and he was dangling over the balcony rail. The last time she saw the two, Hill was chasing the informant.

"There are a lot of people that live around my home that are not good people," Ringold said. "I don't feel safe there at all."

Ringold said on cross examination she did not see Hill beating the informant and did not see a gun.

NW News on 12/16/2014

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