Crime & Safety
Murderer Of Michael Jordan's Dad Wants New Trial
Andre Green, one of 2 men convicted of killing James Jordan in 1993, claims misconduct from jurors and law enforcement.
One of the men convicted of killing the father of Chicago Bulls and NBA legend Michael Jordan is asking for a new trial, claiming misconduct from jurors and law enforcement. Andre Green, 42, has been serving a life sentence in the death of James Jordan, who was murdered in his car in 1993 outside Lumberton, North Carolina. He was convicted along with Larry Martin Demery, 41.
A Superior Court judge heard arguments from Green's lawyers Wednesday, and he agreed to allow some witness statements to potentially be used as evidence to support Green's case for a hearing to decide on a new trial, according to the Fayetteville Observer in North Carolina. One piece of evidence includes a signed affidavit from Paula Locklear, the jury foreperson in Green's 1996 trial, the report states. In that affidavit, Locklear admits she visited the South Carolina site where James Jordan's body was found, violating the judge's orders, the report added.
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"This visit influenced my interpretation of the evidence and played a role in my deliberations of the case," Locklear claims in the affidavit, according to the Observer.
Green's lawyers also are accusing authorities of giving misleading testimony concerning the lack of visible bloodstains in James Jordan's car from the shooting, the report stated. The lack of stains created doubt among some jurors, but Locklear, in her affidavit, says expert testimony from the State Bureau of Investigation eliminated that, the report added.
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Although Green and Demery are both serving life sentences, Demery became eligible for parole in 2016, the report stated. He claims Green was the one who shot and killed James Jordan, 57, in his car nearly 24 years ago. Green has denied pulling the trigger, admitting only to helping Demery dispose of the body.
Green's next hearing date will most likely be this summer, according to the Observer.
More via the Fayetteville Observer
James Jordan, father of Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan (photo by Tim Boyle | Associated Press)
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