THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, December 6, 1994 TAG: 9412060375
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: LUMBERTON, N.C. LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
Defense lawyers for two Robeson County men charged with killing Michael Jordan's father are poised to attack the investigation into the slaying during a hearing today.
Attorneys for Daniel Andre Green, 20, and Larry Martin Demery, 19, filed motions last week to suppress statements made by the defendants before they were charged. Those motions and others will be heard during a two-day hearing in Robeson County Superior Court.
In an affidavit filed with Green's motion, the defendant said when lawmen came to his house, his mother asked whether he should have a lawyer. ``The SBI guy said, `Ma'am, he doesn't need one - he's not under arrest - we just want to ask him some questions about a friend,' '' the affidavit said.
James Jordan's body was found in July 1993 in a South Carolina swamp; Green and Demery were arrested Aug. 15. The men each could get the death penalty; their trials will be separate.
Attorneys for both defendants, who haven't entered pleas in the case, said in the motions that lawmen didn't allow an attorney to be present during questioning and threatened the young men.
Statements made during the interrogations before arrest should be thrown out, the motions said.
The defendants are expected to enter pleas to the charges of first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit armed robbery.
Another motion likely to be heard asks that charges be dismissed because former District Attorney Richard Townsend delayed, for a year, handing over material to defense attorneys that could have helped the two suspects' cases.
KEYWORDS: MURDER TRIAL by CNB