DATE: Thursday, November 13, 1997           TAG: 9711130477

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B9   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Briefs 

                                            LENGTH:   87 lines

COURTS & CRIME

Portsmouth

Murder trial begins in killing of teen

in basketball game

Family and friends of Michael L. Hedge packed five rows of a courtroom Wednesday, the first day of a trial for a 16-year-old accused of the shooting death of Hedge during a basketball game dispute.

Elliott Hill is being tried as an adult in Circuit Court.

Both the prosecution and defense rested Wednesday, and closing statements will be made today.

Michael Morgan, a key witness who described Hedge, 19, as his best friend, testified that the two had gone to the basketball court behind Simonsdale Elementary School on June 15 to play one-on-one.

Morgan said the defendant, 16-year-old Elliott Hill, and three others drove up to the court and joined them in a game.

After the game, a dispute broke out, Morgan testified. When the four began kicking and beating Hedge, Morgan said, Hedge told him to get the car.

Morgan said he passed Hill coming back to the court with a gun and heard three or four shots before Hedge got to the car.

Hill's attorney, John H. Underwood, questioned Morgan about his initial identification of the defendant's older brother, Anthony, as the ``shooter.''

Morgan later saw Anthony Hill on a TV news report and called police to say he was wrong. In a second photo lineup, he identified Elliott Hill.

Driver killed by crash

into underpass support

A 41-year-old man was killed Tuesday night when his car hit a pillar below an overpass, police said.

Steven Barrett Tanner, of the 1600 block of Barron St., was killed shortly after 11 p.m. in the 100 block of Martin Luther King Highway. Witnesses told police that Tanner appeared to be speeding when he struck a support under the London Boulevard overpass, said Amber Whittaker, police spokeswoman.

Tanner was pronounced dead at the scene.

On Wednesday, police released the name of a man killed in an auto accident Monday night.

Robert Kenneth Dearment, 41, ran in front of a northbound car in the 5100 block of George Washington Highway. Dearment, of Frederick, Md., was hit shortly before 10 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

No charges were filed against the driver. Norfolk

Beach youth, 16, arrested

in Ocean View homicide

A 16-year-old has been arrested in connection with a triple homicide in Ocean View on Sept. 16. It was the second arrest in the case.

Homicide detectives Pat Dunn and David Newman arrested the 16-year-old at the detective division Wednesday afternoon, police said. His name was not released because of his age.

He was charged with capital murder, murder and two counts of using a gun. Police said the teen-ager, of Virginia Beach, is the brother of the first suspect arrested.

The teen is scheduled to appear for an arraignment in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court this morning.

The triple homicide occurred in the 9600 block of 15th Bay St. near Pleasant Avenue during a shootout that police say was drug-related.

Police have issued a murder warrant for a third man, Koran Raysor, who is still at large. Virginia Beach

Box explodes in Beach

mailbox; no one injured

An explosive placed in a mailbox exploded late Wednesday afternoon but caused no injuries, authorities said.

The incident occurred about 5:40 p.m. in the 1100 block of Kings Way Drive, a Fire Department spokesman said.

Police closed off the area until investigators determined the area was safe and could gather evidence.

Investigators ask that anyone with information about the incident call Crime Solvers at 427-0000. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Elliott Hill, 16, above, is being tried as an adult in the trial of

Michael L. Hedge, who was killed in a basketball game. KEYWORDS: MURDER SHOOTING ACCIDENT TRAFFIC ARREST

JUVENILE BOMB EXPLOSION

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