Redding v. State

Appellant George Redding was convicted of murder and related offenses in connection with the deaths of victims Ronnie Pierce and Victor Hill, who were shot and killed on June 19, 2007 and July 1, 2007, respectively. Redding appeals, asserting error in the admission of certain evidence and ineffective assistance of counsel. Finding no error, we affirm.1

Viewed in the light most favorable to the jury’s verdicts, the evidence adduced at trial established as follows. In the early morning hours of June 19, 2007, Ronnie Pierce was shot dead in the Mechanicsville area of Atlanta. Witness Lanera Cleveland testified that on the evening of the crime, she was with Pierce at an intersection in Mechanicsville known for attracting drug users, when they were approached by Redding, who accused Pierce of stealing a pistol. The two exchanged words, and Redding produced a gun and began chasing Pierce, shooting. Pierce ran onto the front porch of a nearby house and knocked on the door calling for help, but Redding caught up, shot Pierce, and then ran away. Two other witnesses identified Redding as Pierce’s shooter in pre-trial interviews with police, but both recanted at trial, whereupon the State was permitted to show the jury the video-recorded interviews of both witnesses implicating Redding and corroborating certain details of Cleveland’s account. Pierce died of his injuries, which the medical examiner opined were consistent with being shot from behind while running and being shot in the head at close range.