Day 1: Opening statements heard for DCSO case

Published 9:27 am Thursday, May 28, 2015

Opening statements were heard Wednesday for the trial involving the four indicted individuals involved in an alleged beating and subsequent cover up at BikeFest 2012.

Decatur County Sheriff’s Office deputy Christopher Kines, captain Liz Croley, former deputy Robert Wade Umbach and former Grady County Sheriff’s Office deputy Wiley Griffin, IV, were present with their attorneys.

Carla Parrish, the wife of Aaron Parish, was brought in to testify as a government witness, describing what happened the night of Sept. 15, 2012, to her husband as Griffin, IV, allegedly beat him with a flashlight. She also commented on photos of her husband’s beaten face and described doctor visits.

Email newsletter signup

A second government witness was Brenda Stogner, a BikeFest 2012 volunteer who answered questions about what she saw happen to Parrish. Stogner was cross-examined on whether she was under the influence of any substances, which she answered no, and if she could hear what Parish and the deputies were saying, answered with another no. She was also asked if people were standing between her and the incident between Parrish and the deputies. She said there were not. Griffin, IV’s attorney Charlie Cox, noted she had said under oath there were people in her line of sight during the criminal trial of Aaron Parish in 2013.

Brought in to testify as a third government witness was DCSO deputy and former GCSO deputy Vincent Edmond, who answered questions about police training, his equipment and conversations he had with Griffin, IV, after the incident at BikeFest 2012.

Upon cross-examination by Cox, it was revealed Edmond had lied to a defense attorney about speaking to the FBI and had texted BPS investigator Chip Nix within the past two weeks after being subpoenaed to testify.

Day 2 saw former DCSO investigator Chip Nix take the stand and Day 3 the jury heard from Aaron Parrish.