South Carolina man stands trial in Gaston County crossbow shooting

No one is refuting that James Michael Rick went searching.

The concern of that or what he was searching, nonetheless, goes to the heart of a criminal test that began on Tuesday mid-day. 

Rick, that is from North Myrtle Coastline, South Carolina, is billed with first-degree murder in the fatality of Delia “Joyce” Aldridge Rick, that he is declared to have actually fired with a weapon prior to unloading her vehicle, with her body in it, in Lake Wylie. 

In Rick’s test on Tuesday, Aide Area Lawyer Deborah Gulledge said that on the night of Might 4, 2019, Rick believed that his partner, Melinda Kay Robinson of Belmont, had actually taken cash that he prepared to invest in medicines.

“As well as he angered. He obtained truly, truly upset,” sending out messages to another person stating that he was trying to find Robinson, Gulledge stated.

Rick mosted likely to a residence on Consistency Path, southeast of Gastonia, as well as armed himself with another person’s weapon, a tool he was “really knowledgeable about,” Gulledge stated. 

At some point, Robinson got here, gone along with by Joyce Rick, Gulledge stated. 

When they brought up to your house, James Rick was waiting, as well as he terminated at Robinson, that flinched back, she stated. The screw struck Joyce Rick rather, eliminating her.

“Seekers do not fire to wound. They fire to eliminate,” Gulledge stated. 

Later, Rick drew the screw from his relative’s body, as well as he as well as Robinson are declared to have actually driven to Lake Wylie, where they sent out Joyce Rick’s vehicle rolling right into the lake. After that, Gulledge stated, the pair got away to a South Carolina coastline.

“The capturing of Joyce Rick, this was no mishap,” Gulledge stated.  Searching Robinson, getting a tool, and after that waiting for her recommends that the murder was conscious, no matter the reality that he did not strike his desired target.

“Those are activities of a guilty guy,” she stated.

Rick’s lawyer, nonetheless, paints a really various image.

Defense lawyer Larry Hoyle stated that James Rick, Joyce Rick, Melinda Robinson as well as others would certainly merge cash to acquire medicines.

On May 4, Hoyle stated, Rick took a tablet as well as lost consciousness, as well as when he woke up, he could not locate the cash he prepared to utilize to acquire even more medicines. 

He called his dope dealer as well as stated that Robinson took his medicine cash, however his mind really did not rely on murder, Hoyle stated — “His mind looked to dope.”

However Rick, he stated, had actually currently located his medicine cash when he mosted likely to the house on Consistency Path. It had actually dropped in between the console as well as the seat in his vehicle. 

“Well there goes the factor for his murder right there,” Hoyle stated. 

On Consistency Path, there is a spot of timbers including deer, as well as Rick asked a person there for a weapon, stating that he saw a deer. Rick was strolling down a hillside when Robinson as well as Joyce Rick brought up, as well as he slid as well as the weapon terminated, Hoyle stated. The screw struck his relative, that he liked, Hoyle stated. 

He stated that Robinson will likely assert that Rick held her captive when they got away.

“You’re mosting likely to determine rather swiftly that that’s a number of rubbish,” he stated. 

Rather, he stated, Robinson informed Rick, “We have actually reached leave below,” and after that they eliminated Joyce as well as the vehicle as well as left for a formerly prepared journey to the coastline.

“It was a terrible, awful point that took place,” he stated. “He liked his relative.”

“When he located his cash,” he included, “he had no factor to hurt any person.”

Rick encounters a first-degree murder fee in his relative’s fatality. If founded guilty as billed, he would certainly obtain an obligatory sentence of life behind bars without the possibility of parole.

Lawyers have actually stated they anticipate the test to last concerning a week