The prosecutor says that the sister organized theft

Someone shot David Huddleston in 2015 while sitting with his wife on a family property of 300 acres in the northwest of Nashville.

Almost exactly 10 years later, a man accused in Huddleston’s death is in trial.

Isaiah Berkley, 28, is accused of a first -degree premeditated murder charge and a serious crime murder charge. The murder for severe crime can be applied to someone who participates in a crime that results in a death, even if they did not kill anyone.

Prosecutors say Berkley and two others were carrying out a robbery in the direction of one of the Huddleston family members.

Two other men, who this month requested that their judgments be held separately from those of Berkley, face the same positions as him.

The lawyers gave opening statements and called a witness on Tuesday. The judgment is expected to end Friday.

The narrative of prosecutors on the case

Opening statements at the trial began on Tuesday afternoon after about six hours of jury selection. The attached prosecutor of the district of Nashville, Amy Hunter, presented the narrative of the state crime.

David Huddleton was known by his family and friends as “cowboy.”

Some 16 months before the night they shot him, Huddleston’s father died.

His father, Charles S. Huddleston, known by the family as “Big Daddy”, accumulated a wealth in the construction and landfill industry, according to the information of the opening statements and the testimony on Tuesday. He had a 300 acres farm in Ashland City Highway where he and two of his children lived. The property had its own landfill.

When Charles S. Huddleston died in 2013, his will was not complete, said Hunter.

David Huddleston and one of his brothers were appointed executors to handle the administration of heritage in the succession. The defense lawyer David Hopkins characterized the dispute over heritage as a “battle” that involved all the six siblings of the family. However, the money could not be paid until the debts were handled.

A brother, prosecutors said, tired of waiting.

According to Hunter, around Christmas 2014, the bank was about to recover the house of David Huddleston’s sister. He had not been able to pay for his home because he was not receiving money from his father, said Hunter.

Before the loss of his house, he approached Berkley, Hunter said, and asked him to rob his brother. Tennessean does not appoint the sister because she was never accused of a crime in relation to the case.

According to prosecutors, Berkley recruited two others: Antonio Martin and Jaimerio Askew.

They entered the property of the Huddleston farm armed with weapons afternoon on Friday, January 17, 2015, said Hunter. While David Huddleston and his wife, Talisha Huddleston, sat in his car, someone with a mask opened his door on the passenger side and demanded money, Talisha Huddleston testified.

She closed her eyes but felt David Huddleston reach a gun. Talisha Huddleston said she heard shots on the driver’s side and believed that her husband had shot to protect her. But when he opened his eyes, he saw that he was bleeding from the stomach, he said.

He met his home and woke up his two children, an 8 -year -old son and 13 -year -old son, and got his phone to call 911. David Huddleston died that night.

Talisha Huddleton testified that that day, David Huddleston had organized a meeting with the bank for Saturday, January 18 to save his sister’s house.

The defense argument

“Speculation, assumption and conjectures.” Those were the first words that Hopkins, the defense lawyer, told the jury on Tuesday.

“That is what you are going to listen in this case,” said Hopkins.

Hopkins’s opening statement focused largely on what characterized the weak state of the State against Berkley.

The state has no evidence of DNA, Digital Footprints or Video Evidence from Berkley, said Hopkins. Telephone data The state plans to present as evidence it has not been shown to belong to Berkley, he said.

Expected Cellmate Testimony

The prosecutors told the jurors that they will hear Trenton Raybon testimonies, a man who was celled with Berkley in jail for unrelated crimes.

In the summer of 2016, the murder of David Huddleston was considered a “cold case.” But on August 1, a great break occurred. Raybon arrived at the police and said Berkley confessed everything about the crime for him while they were in jail together, Hunter said.

Hopkins questioned the truth of Raybon’s confession to the police. It is possible that it has benefited by giving the police a new advantage, Hopkins suggested.

“He expects a year and a half to try to help himself,” said Hopkins.

Hunter said Metro Nashville Cold Case Det. Curtis Hafley was able to “corroborate everything,” Raybon told the police.

Do you have questions about the justice system? Evan Mealins is the Tennessean Justice reporter. Contact it with questions, tips or ideas of stories in [email protected].