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Changing storiesAfter Rudolph Holton was convicted of strangling Katrina Graddy in 1986, some witnesses changed their stories.
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Flemmie Birkins
1986: Jail trusty. Said Holton told him he strangled Graddy and set her on fire.
2001: Said he made up Holton’s confession to save himself from a long prison sentence.
2003: Said original story was the truth.
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Carrie Nelson
1986: Lived on the alley behind the crack house. Put police onto Holton, said she saw him go into the house the night Graddy was murdered. Died in 1992. |
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Elease Moore
2001: Said Nelson told her she concocted her story to get back at Holton for stealing her groceries. Said Nelson told her she felt guilty about it.
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Johnny Lee Newsome, aka Georgia Boy
1986: Said he saw Holton and Graddy together the night of the murder.
2001: Said he lied, did not see either of them that night.
2003: Said original story was the truth.
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Donald Lamar Smith
2001: Said Graddy told him Pine raped her. Said he heard Pine threaten to kill her.
2003: State interviewed him again. He stuck to his story. |
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David Pearson, aka Pine
2001: Denied killing Graddy, who reported him for rape 10 days before she was murdered. Smith said Pearson threatened to kill her for stealing his cocaine. |
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