'I didn't want to kill him,' Conrad testifies during trial
By Kat Russell, Reporter
The Paducah Sun
March 19, 2016
http://www.paducahsun.com/news/local/031916_PS_Conrad_Day3
Kat Russell / The Paducah Sun
"I told myself I wasn't going to shoot until I saw a gun, but then the truck started moving," Jeffrey Conrad testified Friday during the third day of his trial in McCracken Circuit Court.
"I didn't want to kill (Cox). When I fired my weapon I wanted him to stop (the truck) from backing toward Missy."
Conrad, 49, faces a murder charge after he shot and killed Garlon Casey Cox, 31, on June 8, 2015, at a Reidland storage facility. Conrad had caught Cox and Brandon York, 36, loading items from his storage unit into a Ford Ranger pickup truck when the shooting occurred. Conrad has stated he shot Cox to protect his ex-girlfriend, Melissa "Missy" McKendree, who was helping Conrad move some items into storage that morning.
Taking the stand Friday, Conrad tearfully recounted the moments leading up to the shooting and what happened in the days that followed.
Conrad said that morning he and McKendree planned to meet at 5 a.m. to pick up a moving truck, but they got a late start, meeting at 6 a.m. and arriving at the storage unit about 15 minutes later.
The storage facility, located on Eagles Nest Drive, consists of three buildings, labeled A, B and C, and Conrad had rented two units, one in the A building and one in the B building.
Conrad said they first went to unload stuff at the A unit, and once it was full, they went to the B unit to unload the rest.
As they pulled up, Conrad said, he saw Cox's truck. Cox was sitting in the driver's seat, and York was closing and locking the door to his unit.
"I'm positive it was my unit," he said. "My unit was the next to last."
Conrad said when he pulled the moving truck alongside the passenger side of Cox's truck, he noticed several items that belonged to him in the bed of the truck.
"The first thing I noticed was a manual push mower," he said.
That's when Conrad said he got out of the truck and drew his gun, pointing it at York first, then at Cox, who was still in the truck.
"I started hollering at the top of my lungs, 'Get on the ground, get on the ground,'" Conrad said.
At that point, Conrad said, Cox got out of the truck and puts his hands in the air.
"He acted for a second like he was going to get down on the ground like I was telling him to, and then York takes off (running)," he said, drawing Conrad's attention away from Cox.
That's when Cox started inching toward his truck and got into the driver's seat. Conrad said he yelled at Cox to stop but Cox glared at him, reaching down into the truck's seat.
"He's glaring at me like he could have ripped my head off," he said. "It was a mean look."
Conrad said the truck then began to back up toward McKendree, who was standing about 50 feet away. The truck moved about 6 inches and he fired his weapon, he said, hitting Cox in the head.
"I didn't have time to aim, I just fired into the cab to get him to stop," Conrad said. "I didn't know what (Cox's) intentions were."
The medical examiner, who conducted Cox's autopsy, testified Thursday that the bullet struck Cox in the left temple, killing him almost instantly.
After he fired, Conrad said, Cox's truck, still in reverse, veered off to one side and crashed into a storage unit door.
McKendree also testified Friday, saying during the altercation she couldn't comprehend what was happening.
"I was trying to take in what was going on," she said. "I guess I was in shock, trying to comprehend what was happening, why Jeff had his gun drawn."
At the time, McKendree said she wasn't in fear for her life but, after it was over, she realized how serious the situation had been.
When it was his turn to cross-examine Conrad, Commonwealth Attorney Dan Boaz pounced, emphasizing that Conrad had the gun, pointed that gun at Cox's head and pulled the trigger.
He questioned Conrad about his gun training, what types of classes he had to take to get a concealed carry permit and asking how often he went shooting, referring to Conrad as a "gun guy."
Boaz also indicated Conrad's gun training would have taught him about the circumstances in which a shooting could be justified, and accused Conrad of using "buzz words" when he spoke to the 911 dispatcher and again when he was interviewed by the sheriff's officers.
"Based on your training ... there are two things you can use (deadly force) for: if you're in fear of your life or you are in fear for somebody else's life," Boaz said. "That's why you said you were in fear for your life when you called 911. You knew you needed to get that out there then. Based on your training, you knew that you had to say that you were in fear for your life."
Conrad held his ground, calmly answering Boaz's questions, recounting his story.
During McKendree's cross, Boaz pointed out inconsistencies in her words, reading from the statement she had given at the sheriff's department and reminding her of what she had said.
Boaz pointed out she had told Detective Matt Carter she was not in fear for her life and that she didn't think Cox was going to run her over. He also reminded McKendree that she had stated Cox's truck "didn't get that close to me."
After calling three more witnesses, the defense wrapped up its case.
McCracken Circuit Judge Tim Kaltenbach continued the trial until Monday, when the attorneys will give their closing statements and the case will be given to the jury.
The trial is scheduled to resume at 10 a.m. Monday, and the jury is expected to start deliberations by 1 p.m.
Contact Kat Russell, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8653.
"I didn't want to kill (Cox). When I fired my weapon I wanted him to stop (the truck) from backing toward Missy."
Conrad, 49, faces a murder charge after he shot and killed Garlon Casey Cox, 31, on June 8, 2015, at a Reidland storage facility. Conrad had caught Cox and Brandon York, 36, loading items from his storage unit into a Ford Ranger pickup truck when the shooting occurred. Conrad has stated he shot Cox to protect his ex-girlfriend, Melissa "Missy" McKendree, who was helping Conrad move some items into storage that morning.
Taking the stand Friday, Conrad tearfully recounted the moments leading up to the shooting and what happened in the days that followed.
Conrad said that morning he and McKendree planned to meet at 5 a.m. to pick up a moving truck, but they got a late start, meeting at 6 a.m. and arriving at the storage unit about 15 minutes later.
The storage facility, located on Eagles Nest Drive, consists of three buildings, labeled A, B and C, and Conrad had rented two units, one in the A building and one in the B building.
Conrad said they first went to unload stuff at the A unit, and once it was full, they went to the B unit to unload the rest.
As they pulled up, Conrad said, he saw Cox's truck. Cox was sitting in the driver's seat, and York was closing and locking the door to his unit.
"I'm positive it was my unit," he said. "My unit was the next to last."
Conrad said when he pulled the moving truck alongside the passenger side of Cox's truck, he noticed several items that belonged to him in the bed of the truck.
"The first thing I noticed was a manual push mower," he said.
That's when Conrad said he got out of the truck and drew his gun, pointing it at York first, then at Cox, who was still in the truck.
"I started hollering at the top of my lungs, 'Get on the ground, get on the ground,'" Conrad said.
At that point, Conrad said, Cox got out of the truck and puts his hands in the air.
"He acted for a second like he was going to get down on the ground like I was telling him to, and then York takes off (running)," he said, drawing Conrad's attention away from Cox.
That's when Cox started inching toward his truck and got into the driver's seat. Conrad said he yelled at Cox to stop but Cox glared at him, reaching down into the truck's seat.
"He's glaring at me like he could have ripped my head off," he said. "It was a mean look."
Conrad said the truck then began to back up toward McKendree, who was standing about 50 feet away. The truck moved about 6 inches and he fired his weapon, he said, hitting Cox in the head.
"I didn't have time to aim, I just fired into the cab to get him to stop," Conrad said. "I didn't know what (Cox's) intentions were."
The medical examiner, who conducted Cox's autopsy, testified Thursday that the bullet struck Cox in the left temple, killing him almost instantly.
After he fired, Conrad said, Cox's truck, still in reverse, veered off to one side and crashed into a storage unit door.
McKendree also testified Friday, saying during the altercation she couldn't comprehend what was happening.
"I was trying to take in what was going on," she said. "I guess I was in shock, trying to comprehend what was happening, why Jeff had his gun drawn."
At the time, McKendree said she wasn't in fear for her life but, after it was over, she realized how serious the situation had been.
When it was his turn to cross-examine Conrad, Commonwealth Attorney Dan Boaz pounced, emphasizing that Conrad had the gun, pointed that gun at Cox's head and pulled the trigger.
He questioned Conrad about his gun training, what types of classes he had to take to get a concealed carry permit and asking how often he went shooting, referring to Conrad as a "gun guy."
Boaz also indicated Conrad's gun training would have taught him about the circumstances in which a shooting could be justified, and accused Conrad of using "buzz words" when he spoke to the 911 dispatcher and again when he was interviewed by the sheriff's officers.
"Based on your training ... there are two things you can use (deadly force) for: if you're in fear of your life or you are in fear for somebody else's life," Boaz said. "That's why you said you were in fear for your life when you called 911. You knew you needed to get that out there then. Based on your training, you knew that you had to say that you were in fear for your life."
Conrad held his ground, calmly answering Boaz's questions, recounting his story.
During McKendree's cross, Boaz pointed out inconsistencies in her words, reading from the statement she had given at the sheriff's department and reminding her of what she had said.
Boaz pointed out she had told Detective Matt Carter she was not in fear for her life and that she didn't think Cox was going to run her over. He also reminded McKendree that she had stated Cox's truck "didn't get that close to me."
After calling three more witnesses, the defense wrapped up its case.
McCracken Circuit Judge Tim Kaltenbach continued the trial until Monday, when the attorneys will give their closing statements and the case will be given to the jury.
The trial is scheduled to resume at 10 a.m. Monday, and the jury is expected to start deliberations by 1 p.m.
Contact Kat Russell, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8653.
