MIAMI -- A Dade County circuit court judge Tuesday heard defense motions to suppress key state evidence in the case against two men and two juveniles accused of the savage slaying of three persons during Miami's May riots.
Defense attorneys immediately asked the judge to surpress key state evidence in the case, and because of pre-trial maneuvering jury selection was expected to be delayed until Thursday.
Attorneys for Lawrence C. Capers, 24, his brother Leonard, 20, and Patrick Moore and Samuel Lightsey Jr., both 16, asked Dade County Circuit Judge Mario Goderich to suppress statements made by the defendants to police before their arrest.
All are charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Benny Higdon, 21, his brother-in-law Robert Owens, 15, and Owens' friend Charles Barreca, also 15.
The three were the first victims of the racial riots that erupted May 17 after four Dade County policemen were acquitted in the beating death of black insurance agent Arthur McDuffie.
A total of 18 persons died during the three days of rioting.
A fifth man charged in the case, Nathaniel Lane, 18, will be tried separately.
Judge Goderich heard testimony from Jose Fleites, a Dade County Public Safety Department homicide detective and one of the arresting officers, who described how Moore and Lightsey were questioned by police.
Fleites said both youths described their part in the killing of Higdon, Owens and Barreca in oral statements given to him on May 27, 10 days after the fatal beatings.
Higdon and his two companions were returning from a day of fishing when their car skidded on an oil that was dumped on the street by rioters at a Liberty City intersection. Prosecutors contend the three were dragged from the vehicle and battered to death.
Fleites said Moore, who was accompanied by his mother during the police questioning, admitted firing a .25-caliber automatic 'three or four times.' Fleites said the youth said at first he fired the pistol in the air, but then said he fired directly at one of the victims.
Lightsey, who was accompanied by his father during the interrogation, said he pulled one of the victims out of the car and beat him with a rock, Fleites testified.
All four defendants are represented by court-appointed attorneys.
