CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – On Day 2 of the cold case murder trial for Shaquille Miles – charged with the 2014 murder of Fran “Frankie” Caratini – the prosecution and defense sparred to make sense of the witnesses, interviews and evidence so far.
It’s been nine years since Caratini was found shot to death behind the Chapel Street apartments, and now that the trial is finally underway, it’s moving quickly.
The prosecution argues that Miles killed Caratini for selling him a defective gun and then refusing to pay him back $325, while the defense states that simply too much time has passed since 2014, and with no new physical evidence, the state is relying on “he said, she said.”
Here are four key takeaways from Day 2:
1. Physical evidence introduced
Evidence was introduced that was found at the scene of the crime. Darren Koski, who photographed the scene, identified each piece of evidence:
- Plastic baggie of green leafy substance
- Shell casing
- A nickel
- A penny
- An unopened cigar/cigarillo
- Reddish brown stain in grass
- A white Monte Carlo (belonging to the victim)
- A cell phone (belonging to the victim)
Although the shell casing may sound relevant, after close examination, the shell was old and not freshly fired, unlike what they were looking for. This was confirmed during defense attorney Jake Fendley’s cross-examination of Koski and Detective Keenan Carlton.
In a crime scene photo of the victim, introduced by the defense, the victim’s hands were bagged but not tested for anything. Gunshot wound victims are already assumed to have gunshot residue on their bodies, and according to Carlton, even if they were to send samples to the lab, they would just get sent back.
2. Autopsy: Wounds were severe
Thomas Deering, the medical examiner who performed the autopsy of Caratini, found there to be three gunshot wounds in the victim’s body: one entry and exit through the arm, and one entry in his chest.
Deering estimates that with the damage done to the victim’s aorta artery, Caratini would not have remained conscious for more than 30 seconds to a couple of minutes.
“If Mr. Caratini had been shot in an operating room, with world-class surgeons at the ready to perform surgery, if he would have been shot and immediately placed on the operating table, could his life have been saved?” Assistant District Attorney Crystal Morgan asked Deering.
“I hardly ever say impossible, but this is a really severe injury,” Deering answered. “It’s very unlikely that he would have been saved.”
3. Deal or no deal?
Carlton said that when he receives a cold case, he starts from the beginning as if the crime had just happened. He went back and reinterviewed witnesses and reviewed the evidence. As far as physical evidence was concerned, none of the evidence obtained was pertinent to the homicide, including the shell casing.
A common name began popping up to law enforcement. Inmate Marquis Hall in prison confirmed what others had already told law enforcement: Miles had confessed to him that he killed Caratini. Now, in exchange for Hall’s testimony, Hall has a plea deal.
Several inmates were interviewed, including a woman named Brittany Mostella. Her interview was recorded and played for the court during Fendley’s cross-examination of Carlton.
“I can make zero promises, I just don’t have the authority,” Carlton can be heard telling Mostella. “But if there’s anything we can do to help you out, it will be done.”
Fendley argued that Carlton allowed Mostella to perjure herself during a preliminary hearing by saying she had no deals, despite Carlton saying he talked to Mostella’s parole officer for her.
4. Witnesses to return, talks of mistrial
Court dismissed early to allow time for the defense to listen to previous interviews that supposedly weren’t available to them and to revisit a previous witness.
Judge Robert Bateman then told the court, “The court considers its options. The court could declare a mistrial, and that leads to a whole host of issues. But I haven’t had a request to do that.”
When asked if Fendley had anything to put on the record, he stood and began to ask for a mistrial, despite “loathing” to ask for one.
“If you make that same motion in the morning, I’ll consider it. But I think everybody needs to be certain of the ramifications that come with that,” Bateman told Fendley.
As of now, Marquis Hall is to return to court to testify, and Thursday, Miles will take the stand to testify on his own behalf. Court is set to resume Thursday at 8:30 a.m.