Detective testifies for seven hours in 'splash' party murder trial in Houma
A party turned to chaos when gunfire flashed and a man collapsed. Glass exploded from windshields as the street turned into a gang shootout.
"We know that's the victim taking a bullet to the head, so let's work our way backwards," Prosecutor Daniel Smart said to retired Detective Robert Lottinger during his seventh hour of testimony Wednesday. Smart is with the Louisiana Attorney General's Office.
Lottinger was explaining video footage he collected for 12 jurors during the second day of a murder trial.
Terrion Robinson faces charges of second-degree murder for the shooting death of Emmett Carr Jr. The trial is presided over by Judge Jason Dagate of Houma.
Carr was shot, June 26, 2021, at a "splash" party in the 2600 block of Isaac Street when it turned into a gunfight between two groups: one from Houma and the other from Thibodaux, according to Houma Police Department.
Video footage showed the chaos of about 10 people opening fire on one another and scrambling in multiple directions.
Lottinger stood in front of jurors with a wooden pointer explaining the footage. His investigation, based on witness testimony and where spent shell casings were found, placed Robinson just off camera, standing stationary to aim, and opening fire on Carr.
"I have viewed that video hundreds of times," he said, when asked how he could tell where the first shots came from off screen. "You cannot see the defendant on the video. You can only see the shots fired from the location."
Carr was struck three times: in his head his bicep and calf.
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Lottinger's testimony included more than 200 photos, three videos and more than 50 shell casings retrieved from the residential street, cars, a church's parking lot and its wall. Other evidence included a Mauser rifle, an AK 47, two Glock pistols with extended magazines and body armor. An extended magazine increases the bullets that can be fired from the Glock pistol from 17 to 30 rounds.
The witnesses Lottinger interviewed are expected to testify later in the trial.
Defense Attorney Shannon Battiste is representing Robinson. He argued that none of the physical evidence presented was directly tied to Robinson but rather was tied to others on scene. The rifles and pistols were retrieved from other peoples' cars, the video footage didn't show his client and the photos were of cars that belonged to other people.
Battiste took an argumentative approach to questioning Lottinger, asking him why, if Robinson was accused of driving away from the scene in a Dodge Charger, was the vehicle never retrieved. He also pointed out that Lottinger was unsure if Robinson was the driver or passenger of the Charger he was accused of being in.
Lottinger said Robinson, nor his car, were ever found, and that it was because Robinson was house hopping across Houma and Thibodaux.
"Oh God, how big is Houma? And how far away is Thibodaux?," Battiste said with mock surprise.
Battiste continuously attacked Lottinger's reporting on the investigation, asking why every effort law enforcement took was not listed, and questioning why outside sources like the U.S. Marshall's Office were not brought in to apprehend Robinson.
Lottinger explained that only relevant facts were documented, not efforts that didn't result in evidence.
Two others are charged with murder in the crime: Revius Gilton and Jaquan Smith. They will be tried at a later date.
This article originally appeared on The Courier: Detective testifies for seven hours in 'splash' party murder trial
