Triple murder suspect not allowed to view evidence

Published 8:17 pm Wednesday, July 2, 2014

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By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal
As a result of a court order Tuesday, only attorneys for the state and defense for triple murder suspect Deandra Marquis Lee were allowed to view physical evidence held by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation (ABI) on Wednesday.
According to court records, on a motion by the state, Lowndes County Circuit Court Judge Terri Bozeman Lovell rescinded an earlier order on Tuesday that would have allowed Lee to view physical evidence held by the ABI due to security concerns.
Lovell said in her order, “The motion having been duly considered, along with the court’s own awareness of the security issues that have surrounded this case, as well as the defendant’s own actions, which has resulted in multiple placement and increased security at all court hearings, it is ordered that the time and date set for viewing of the evidence will be by counsel for the state of Alabama and counsel for the defendant only.”
She further ordered “that the order to transport the defendant to view evidence is hereby rescinded.”
Lee would have been allowed to view the evidence held by the ABI on Wednesday, July 2 had the earlier order not been rescinded. In rescinding the earlier order, Lovell ordered that only the attorneys for the state and the defendant could view the evidence on July 2.
Lee faces six capital murder charges in connection with the 2012 deaths of 9-year-old twins, Jordan and Taylor Dejerinett, from Montgomery, and their 73-year-old caretaker, Jack Mac Girdner of Hope Hull.
On June 5, 2012 the bodies were discovered by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and the Alabama Bureau of Investigation (ABI) on a dirt road off of Alabama Highway 21 near Hayneville, three miles south of U.S. Highway 80. The three had been reported missing on Monday, June 4, 2012.
Lovell granted a defense motion on March 10 of this year to continue Lee’s trial date to the October term of court. Lee is represented by defense attorneys Jerry Thornton and Logan Taylor of Hayneville.

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