Witnesses in 2 brutal killings receiving protection after prosecutors raise concerns

Prosecutors are protecting the identity of witnesses in the two deadly July shootings involving a 26-year-old murder suspect, according to testimony Thursday in Columbus Recorder’s Court.

Reginald Jackson faces murder charges in the shootings of Brandon Scott and Michael Fleming, both 34.

In 2016, Jackson was found not guilty of murder and other charges in the 2013 fatal shooting of 23-year-old Dior Cheney. The victim was driving a 2010 Ford Focus when he was killed and Travis Porter, the 35-year-old passenger, was wounded by a gunman who fired shots into the car at Benning Drive and Head Street.

Jackson was acquitted after Porter took the stand as a key witness in the trial and denied that Jackson was the shooter, recanting what he previously told investigators.

“I just told them whatever so they’d leave me alone,” Porter told Senior Assistant District Attorney Don Kelly at the 2016 trial.

James T. Edwards Jr., who was also a witness in the case, told the court he couldn’t recall any statements he gave to police.

Porter was killed early Monday in shooting at Hannah Heights Apartments at 909 Farr Road.

At the time of his death, Porter was facing felony perjury charges related to his testimony in the murder trial in which Jackson was the defendant, according to court records. Porter was scheduled to be in Superior Court in front of Judge Frank Jordan on Tuesday.

Authorities have yet to name any suspects in Porter’s death.

Three days after Porter’s death, Jackson pleaded not guilty to charges related to the death of Scott and Fleming.

Kelly told the court that the names of the witnesses in both cases would not be released because of safety concerns.

“This has really been an ongoing issue in this case and previous cases with Mr. Jackson, so we are not going to reveal any witnesses,” he said.

Columbus Police Cpl. Donna Baker said authorities were called to 831 Rigdon Road around 2 a.m. July 7 to investigate a shooting. Scott and a second man were wounded after a group of people fired shots into an apartment.

They were transported to Columbus Midtown Medical Center, where Scott was pronounced dead.

The other victim was airlifted to an Atlanta hospital for further treatment. His current condition has yet to be released.

Baker said it’s unclear how many shooters were involved, but witnesses identified Jackson as one of them. Officials said there may be up to 10 suspects in Scott’s death.

Three days after the Rigdon Road shooting, authorities found a body in the trunk of a stolen 2006 Pontiac G6 parked at the intersection of Harbison Drive and Head Street. The body was charred beyond recognition with no facial features and no fingers, Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said.

Autopsy results from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab in Decatur indicated that the victim was shot once in the head and once in the hip.

Officials collected DNA samples from Fleming’s parents when they went to authorities about five days after the body was found and reported the 34-year-old barber missing. On Aug. 7, it was confirmed that Fleming was the victim.

The next day 56-year-old Alexander Jackson pleaded not guilty to cleaning up the blood and other evidence at 2613 Cusseta Road, where authorities said Fleming was killed.

Witnesses said the shooter, who was later identified as Reginald Jackson, instructed Alexander Jackson and others to move the body and clean up the evidence on Cusseta Road.

“It’s our understanding from witness testimony that he was instructed to get rid of the blood and the biological evidence that was left at the scene,” Deaton testified. “He poured accelerant on it, put it in the fire and stood over it for quite some time, constantly feeding the fire to make sure that the blood and the biological evidence was disposed of.”

Deaton said three men hijacked the Pontiac used in the homicide from a woman at a Big Cat Fuels gas station less than 24 hours before the body was found in the trunk. The suspects arrested in the July 9 carjacking at 2936 North Lumpkin Road were Darious Jamal Robinson, 18, Marquis Lamar Johnson, 20, and Fredret Shamar Culliver, 17.

Reginald Jackson was taken into custody on Aug. 28 after he and another man were shot in the 800 block of Morris Road. Both men arrived at St. Francis Hospital for treatment.

Reginald Jackson was released from the hospital on Saturday and booked into the jail, but the status of the other shooting victim is unknown at this time.

Reginald Jackson, who was represented by attorney Alfonza Whitaker, didn’t testify in court. He was ordered held without bond in the Muscogee County Jail.

Judge Julius Hunter bound the case over to Superior Court.

This story was originally published September 7, 2017 at 3:26 PM with the headline "Witnesses in 2 brutal killings receiving protection after prosecutors raise concerns."