James W. Henderson was convicted of two counts of armed robbery, two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and one count each of hijacking a motor vehicle and kidnapping. On appeal, Henderson challenges the admission of similar transaction evidence and the trial court’s denial of his motion to sever. Finding no error, we affirm. Construed in favor of the verdict, the evidence shows that at approximately 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 23, 2001, Matthew Vaughn Willis drove to a Kroger supermarket to meet a friend. Willis testified that while waiting for his friend to arrive, he sat in his car, which he described as a reddish, burgundy Acura; that Henderson approached him on the driver’s side, acted as if he knew Willis, and asked for a cigarette; that Henderson then bent down and popped up with a cigarette and asked Willis for a light; and that once Willis lit the cigarette, Henderson pointed a dark-colored gun at him and said, “take me where I want to go.” Willis further testified that Henderson continuously pointed the gun at him as he walked around the front of the car and entered through the passenger side door; that Henderson told him to drive and take him to the Knight’s Inn, which was approximately one quarter of a mile from the Kroger; that when he was about to turn into the hotel, Henderson put the gun to his head and told him to keep driving straight or he would kill him; that Henderson told him to drive north on Interstate 75; and that after approximately a mile, Henderson told him to pull over and to exit the car and left him on the Interstate.
Willis testified that as he walked back toward the Kroger, he was picked up by a gentleman, who drove him back to the store; that he used the man’s phone to call police; and that within five minutes, the police responded and he told them what happened. Willis recalled that he identified Henderson in a photographic lineup and that he was initially 90 to 95 percent confident that Henderson was the assailant; then, after viewing the lineup for a little longer, he was positive of his identification. Willis also identified Henderson in court.
