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Jeffrey Conroy Says He Took Bloody Knife To Help Friend He Met That Night: “I Felt Bad for Him.”

Posted April 8, 2010 by Ted Hesson
Categories: Hate Watch

*UPDATED* 4/8/10 10:17pm

Jeffrey Conroy took the witness stand in his own defense today, denying the murder, manslaughter, and assault charges against him, and claiming that he took a bloody knife—the alleged murder weapon—from Christopher Overton, another defendant in the alleged attack.

Conroy is accused of stabbing and killing Ecuadorian immigrant Marcelo Lucero in a November 2008 hate crime attack. This morning, he testified that he took the alleged murder weapon from Christopher Overton after the confrontation with Lucero and his friend Angel Loja. For my post from the morning, click here.

During direct examination, Conroy recounted the exchange with Overton:

“He said, ‘Jeff, I think I just stabbed the guy in the shoulder,’” Conroy told the jury. “‘I can’t get in trouble for this. Can you please take the knife?’”

At a press conference outside the courtroom this afternoon, Christopher Overton’s mother, Denise, said that she thought the testimony was “horrible.”

“It’s obvious that he’s lying up there,” she said. “He has no conscience…I don’t know how he lives with himself.”

During the afternoon cross examination by assistant district attorney Megan O’Donnell, Conroy testified that he had never told anyone publicly about the exchange between himself and Overton, who he had just met for the first time on the night of the alleged attack.

Under questioning from O’Donnell, Conroy said that he didn’t realize he was facing manslaughter charges when he allegedly took the knife from Overton. “I didn’t know the guy was hurt bad,” Conroy said.

O’Donnell asked Conroy if, after he realized that he was charged with manslaughter, he told the detectives, his parents, or anyone else that he was carrying Christopher Overton’s knife. “No,” Conroy said.

O’Donnell asked if he mentioned the exchange with the knife at his arraignment the next day:

“Did you tell the judge that day that you did not stab the guy and that you were covering for Chris Overton?” O’Donnell asked.

“No,” Conroy answered.

Conroy also neglected to mention the exchange a week later when he appeared before Judge Doyle, who is now hearing his case, in Riverhead. But Conroy later testified that defense lawyer William Keahon had asked him not to talk to anyone about the case, and not to speak about it on the phone.

“Today is the first day that you’ve made this information public?” O’Donnell asked Conroy.

“Correct,” he responded.

Conroy said that before Overton handed him the knife, Overton told him, “I only nicked him and I promise you he’s not hurt.”

Conroy said that he had heard from a friend that Overton had been involved in a home invasion where a man died, and that Overton had spoken about the incident on the night of the alleged Lucero attack.

At another point in the cross examination, Conroy said—explaining why he took the knife from Overton—“I felt bad for him.”

Earlier in the trial, Nicholas Hausch testified that Conroy admitted to stabbing Lucero after the alleged attack. Today, Conroy testified that Overton had admitted to the stabbing, and handed Conroy the knife.

O’Donnell asked if the other defendants heard Overton admit to the stabbing and pass Conroy the knife.

“They probably heard that,” Conroy answered.

“They probably heard that?” O’Donnell asked.

“Yeah,” he said.

Conroy also testified that he never had the opportunity to read his written statement, which was taken by Det. John McLeer, the lead detective on the Lucero murder case who testified earlier this week. The corrections on the statement, which are initialed by Conroy, were dictated by McLeer, Conroy said.

“He just told me to cross out the word and write my initials on top,” Conroy said.

Several witnesses have testified that several of Conroy’s tattoos, two lightning bolts and a Nazi symbol, were associated with white supremacy ideology.

In court today, Conroy said that the lightning bolt was an homage to the San Diego Chargers, because he likes football and their logo. He said that the Nazi symbol was “a joke,” and that his friend Keith Brunjes dared him to get the tattoo.

O’Donnell asked Conroy why, if he had planned to go to Nick Cleary’s house for the night—as Conroy testified today—did he continue to hang out with the other six defendants?

Conroy said that he thought Jordan Dasche, who was driving, would drop him off at his house or the Cleary’s house.

“I wasn’t going to fight anybody that night and I didn’t fight anybody that night,” Conroy said.

By the time the group arrived in Patchogue, Conroy testified that he knew they intended to attack Latinos. With that in mind, O’Donnell asked Conroy why he didn’t stay in Jordan Dasche’s car instead of prowling the streets of Patchogue.

“I wasn’t going to wait in the car by myself,” Conroy said.

“Why not?” O’Donnell asked.

“Because it’s just boring,” Conroy answered.

The trial will resume tomorrow at 10am. Defense lawyer William Keahon said that he expects that either himself or O’Donnell will call another witness to the stand.

Tags : christopher overton, hate crimes, jeffrey conroy, knife, marcelo lucero, suffolk

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