Harrison v. State

The defendant, Phillip Sturdy Harrison, appeals from a final judgment of conviction and sentence for the murder of Gentry Tharp. We vacate, in part, and reverse and remand the remainder for a new trial.

During trial, several neighbors testified and presented conflicting identification testimony. One of them, Wesley Williams, was with Gentry Tharp at the time of the fatal shooting. Officer Michael Osborne, the lead investigator, testified that he had to interview Wesley Williams several times to sort through the inconsistencies in his story. During one meeting, Williams was not able to make a…