(discussion of keeping witnesses lined up & ready)
(pause)
The Court: I do not recall whether you were sworn this morning, were you sir?
Woody: Yes.
The Court: You were?
Woody: Yes.
The Court: Alright, come right on around here please. These things work pretty good don't they - (laughs) Just have a seat there.
Fogleman: Would you state your name and where you live?
Woody: Uh - Bryan Woody, I live at 1823 Goodwin with my parents now.
Fogleman: 1823 Goodwin?
Woody: Yes.
Fogleman: Alright and -
Price: - Could you speak louder?
(mumbling)
Woody: Pardon?
(mumbling)
Woody: Oh, I'm sorry.
Fogleman: Where do you work?
Woody: Uh - not right now, I'm not.
Fogleman: Ok. Back in May of 1993, where did you work?
Woody: Radio World.
Fogleman: Alright. What is Radio World?
Woody: It's a car stereo place.
Fogleman: Ok. Uh - I want to again direct your attention to May the 5th, 1993. Um - were you somewhat acquainted with Steve - Stevie Branch at that time?
Woody: Uh - no.
Fogleman: Alright. Ok. Um - what time did you get off work that day?
Woody: 6:30.
Fogleman: Alright. And after you got off work, where did you go?
Woody: Well, I went to my mom's house to pick up my wife and my little boy so we could go home.
Fogleman: Alright. And as you approached um - 14th street on Goodwin, what if anything did you see?
Woody: I seen uh - four kids going into uh - Robin Hood - you know, right there where the road dead ends.
Fogleman: Ok.
Woody: And there was two of 'em that was pushing a bike, one that was carrying a skateboard and there was just one that was walking. And it was like - you know, I was going 40 mph trying to get home, so - but I seen 'em 'cause one of 'em had spikey hair and my little boy had spiked blonde hair just like it - you know, it just caught my eye.
Fogleman: Alright. Uh - were you aware - did you know whether or not any of the little boys who were missing had that kind of hair cut?
Woody: Well, not until the next day at noon when I went to my parents' house for lunch. My mom asked me - you know, she said "There's some kids missing." and I seen it - you know, and I said "Well, I think I seen them yesterday." I said that little spike headed boy - you know, he looked familiar.
Fogleman: Did you - did you also assist uh - in the search?
Woody: Uh - yes.
Fogleman: Alright, what did you do to help search?
Woody: We just - I just went like - got my father-in-law's three wheeler and rode around with some other guys just looking everywhere.
Fogleman: Ok. I want to show you state's exhibit 3. Is that the kind of haircut that the boy had?
Woody: Yes.
Fogleman: Did he look like that boy?
Woody: Like I said, man, I just remember the hair because my kid had the same kind of hair.
Fogleman: Ok. I don't have any further questions, your Honor.
Price: Mr. Woody, I need to ask you about the statements that you gave to the police in connection with this matter.
Woody: Ok.
Price: Do you remember talking to the police on atleast three different occassions?
Woody: Yes, I do.
Price: Ok. Um - Do you recall on May the 28th talking to a Detective Hester in the police - with the West Memphis police department?
Woody: A lady?
Price: A lady, yeah - she's a female.
Woody: Yes.
Price: Ok. And then there's also - do you recall on September the 7th, 1993 talking to a Bryn Ridge of the West Memphis police department?
Woody: Yes.
Price: Ok. And there's a - there's a third statement that I have, but I can't tell from this - do you remember the - if it was a third date that you talked to officers and -
Woody: - Well, the first time was um - like, when I had told 'em I had seen them kids. That's the first time.
Price: Ok. What um - do recall approximately the date when that was?
Woody: What day were they found - the 6th?
Price: They were found on the 6th.
Woody: That's the day.
Price: Ok, so on the 6th was the first time you talked with 'em?
Woody: Yes.
Price: Ok. And do you recall which officer of hand you talked with on that occassion?
Woody: Uh - if I'm correct, I think it was Gitchell.
Price: Gitchell, ok. Ok. Do you recall on May the 6th stating that it was approximately around 6:30 to 6:44 - excuse me, 6:30 to 6:45 that you observed the four boys?
Woody: Yes.
Price: Ok. Um - Ok. And then on - do you recall on the May 28th statement to Detective Hester - it states on here that on uh - the same date, on May the 5th 1993 at approximately 6:30 was when you got off work and then you saw the four boys?
Woody: Yes.
Price: Ok. And then do you recall on September 7th, 1993 - that would be the third statement to Detective Bryn Ridge um - do you recall in that statement saying that you got off work at approximately 6:15 and went to your mother's house and saw the four boys?
Woody: Well, I got off right at 6:30.
Price: Ok. And it's your testimony that two of the boys were pushing bicycles?
Woody: Yes.
Price: Um - did you have a chance to observe - I don't know if you did, there are two bicycles here that have already been introduced into evidence - one - this is a red bicycle, do you recall if this was one of the bicycles?
Woody: Man, I couldn't tell ya.
Price: Ok. And if I hold up the other bicycle, would you be able to tell?
Woody: Probably not. They were like in the very front.
Price: Ok.
Woody: The one with the skateboard was the third one and then the one without anything, he was just walking behind 'em.
Price: Ok. Mr. Woody, is there any doubt in your mind that you only saw two bicycles?
Woody: That's all I seen.
Price: Ok. Mr. Woody, have you ever been asked to identify who the fourth individual was?
Woody: Uh - no.
Price: Any police officers ever show you any pictures, any photographs?
Woody: No.
Price: Ok. And what area was it that you saw the boys? Was it going towards the Robin Hood area?
Woody: Ok. Um - Goodwin runs down and it meets 14th.
Price: I'll tell ya what, it might help if - we've got an ariel map over here, you want to step down from the stand and take a look at it?
Woody: Ok.
Price: Go ahead and get oriented, this is the Blue Beacon here, there's the pipe and then here's -
Woody: - Right here's 14th. I seen 'em going in right here.
Price: Ok, so this area right here is the 14th, and that's the area that you saw the boys?
Woody: Well, this is 14th.
Price: Excuse me.
Woody: Right here is where I seen 'em going in.
Price: This is the dead end right there?
Woody: Yes.
Price: Ok. And I believe - is this area - is this area called um - Mayfair?
Woody: Yeah, that's Mayfair apartments.
Price: That's the Mayfair apartments, this whole complex right here?
Woody: Yes.
Price: So, it wasn't at this end - it was at this end right here?
Woody: Yeah, I seen them going in right here 'cause I come this way to my parents' house, which live on over here.
Price: Ok.
(pause)
Price: One moment, your Honor while we confer.
(pause)
Price: Nothing further.
(mumbling)
Wadley: How long have you lived in the area? Uh - in that particular area?
Woody: Since '78.
Wadley: And are you familiar with McCauley street?
Woody: Yes.
Wadley: And does McCauley dead end at the bayou? Are you familiar with that area?
Woody: Well, really dead ends - that's 18th that dead ends at uh - the bayou - uh - wait, wait - it comes on around down there. Oh, ok - yeah, ok - that's right.
Wadley: Are you familiar with that area?
Woody: Well, when I was a kid we use to go down there all the time.
Wadley: And where you saw the boys - these four boys - this is not the area that you saw them, is that correct?
Woody: No.
Wadley: Ok. How far away from that place did you - was where you saw them? The distance?
Woody: A few hundred yards.
Wadley: A few hundred yards?
Woody: Yeah, it's a long way, yeah.
Wadley: It's a long way from that point to the other point?
Woody: Yes.
Wadley: Now, had you observed other children playing in that area sometimes?
Woody: Oh yeah, I mean - all the time. That's why I didn't think nothing about it.
Wadley: Would you agree with me that it would be nothing unusual to see children coming in and out of that area?
Woody: Uh uh.
Wadley: On any given day. Uh - you recognized the - the one boy that had a spiked - spiked hair, is that correct?
Woody: Yes.
Wadley: And I believe you told me - testified that you son -
Woody: - Yes.
Wadley: - Wore that hairstyle?
Woody: Well, he's alot younger, but it just stuck up on it's own.
Wadley: During that time were there a lot of children that you saw out there that wore that type of - that type of hair?
Woody: Yeah, there's -
Wadley: Mr. Woody, how long did you have a chance to observe these four boys?
Woody: About 5 seconds.
Wadley: 5 se -
Woody: - Yeah, I was doing about 45, I'm not gonna lie.
Wadley: So you looked at them for about 5 seconds?
Woody: That's about it, but I remember seeing the bicycles, the skateboard -
Wadley: Would it be fair to say that as far as identifying what they were wearing or what they had on uh - looking at them over that 5 second period, you did not know what they were wearing?
Woody: I wasn't really paying attention.
Wadley: Could you identify, if you were asked as to what any of the boys looked like - facially?
Woody: They all had their backs to me.
Wadley: I believe in your statement, you stated that uh - you did not - you could not tell the ages of the chil - of the individuals you saw. Was that correct?
Woody: Uh uh.
Wadley: You wouldn't have any idea how old they might have been?
Woody: They were just young - you know.
Wadley: Ok. That's all I have.
Fogleman: I don't have any further questions.
The Court: Any reason to keep him in attendence?
Price: Yes sir, he can be excused.
The Court: You're free to go sir, thank you very much.
Woody: Ok. Just go out to the same thing?
The Court: You're free to leave.
Woody: Aw, ok - good. Thank you.
The Court: Alright ladies and gentlemen, with the usual admonition not to discuss the case you may stand in recess until 10 minutes past 1. If you want to use the back stairs, you can. Court will be in recess until 1:10.
