Key witness for Abu-Jamal saw two at shooting scene

A key defense eyewitness in the Mumia Abu-Jamal murder trial, a witness who the defense had hoped would testify to having seen two men run from the slain body of police officer Daniel Faulkner on Dec. 9, testified instead that the two men had actually not left the scene.

In an afternoon of frequently confusing testimony, Veronica Jones, an admitted prostitute, said the two men she had seen near the body had not moved as long as she had watched them. In an earlier statement to police, she said she saw two men " jogging" across Locust Street near the murder scene, but yesterday she said, "I never told nobody ( they ) jogged across Locust street."

In addition, Ms. Jones said that she had been "somewhat intoxicated" and had smoked marijuana just before the shooting and so was not always clear about what she had seen.

Yesterday's testimony was a blow to defense attorney Anthony Jackson and Abu-Jamal, who had hoped Ms. Jones would corroborate testimony given Monday by defense witness Dessie Hightower, who said that he had seen one person running from the scene. Four prosecution witnesses had testified that they had seen Abu-Jamal shoot officer Faulkner and had not seen anyone else run from the scene.

Earlier in yesterday's court session, homicide Detective William Thomas, the officer assigned to the Faulkner case, testified that he believed Ms. Jones and Hightower actually had seen each other approaching or running from the murder scene on Dec. 9.

In an earlier statement to police, Ms. Jones had said that after hearing gunshots at 12th and Locust Streets, she walked half way to 13th street on Locust and then turned and left. Detective Thomas said that he believed it was Ms. Jones who Hightower saw "fleeing" from the scene. Similarly, the two people Ms. Jones saw "jogging" across Locust Street, Thomas said, were probably Hightower and his friend Robert Pickford, who had said they began moving toward the murder scene after the shooting.

In a further reduction of Ms. Jones' effectiveness as a defense witness, she told the jury that she had known officer Faulkner and that he had saved her once from being beaten and once from being robbed.

Abu-Jamal, a former radio news reporter, is not expected to take the stand in his own defense. Attorney Jackson has said that he thought the case may go to the jury by the end of this week but that the timing depends on how many character witnesses Abu-Jamal wants to testify.

Supporters of Abu-Jamal are planning a demonstration today at City Hall to protest Common Pleas Court Judge Albert Sabo's handling of the trial. Abu-Jamal was removed by Sabo from acting as his own attorney early in the trial after Sabo had concluded that Abu-Jamal was being "unceasingly disruptive" - usually in his demand that MOVE founder John Africa be made his adviser and counsel.

Also yesterday, a psychiatric resident at Thomas Jefferson Hospital testified that she had seen a police officer raise his leg above Abu-Jamal while he was on the hospital floor and then heard a moan from Abu- Jamal soon after. Dr. Regina Cudemo said, however, that she had not actually seen anyone kick Abu-Jamal.

It has been Abu-Jamal's contention that he was beaten by police at the hospital, and his attorney has tried to use that allegation during the trial. Prosecutor Joseph McGill, who has said that his office investigated the allegation and found it to be baseless, protested Dr. Cudemo's testimony, saying that it had nothing to do with whether or not Abu-Jamal shot officer Faulkner. Sabo, however, allowed the questions.