Oglethorpe Mall shooting suspects in court as battle over evidence begins

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - All six men charged in connection with the Oglethorpe Mall shooting appeared in a Chatham County courtroom Monday for a motions hearing to determine what evidence will be admissible at trial.

WTOC was allowed the only camera in the courtroom.

Defense attorneys for the suspects are challenging several elements the state plans to present, including gang-related evidence, testimony from a gang expert and data gathered from phones and social media accounts.

The defense also plans to contest testimony from the medical examiner regarding the death of an alleged victim, identified as Ms. Smith, who died of heart complications after running from the gunfire.

Defense attorneys are requesting an independent analysis of her pacemaker.

During the hearing, Chatham County Superior Court Chief Judge John Morse issued a warning to prosecutors and defense attorneys about adhering to discovery deadlines.

Morse emphasized the need to move the case forward efficiently as it reaches 14 1/2 months since the shooting occurred.

“What I indicated to counsel at the previous hearing is that we were having some stern and stiff deadlines with respect to discovery from both states and some other defendants, so that we will know what our snapshot picture will be at any particular point in time,” Chief Judge Morse said. “The continuous supplementation, getting up to trial and things of that nature, can be quite problematic.”

Morse noted the logistical challenge of coordinating schedules with six separate defense counsels to ensure the case is tried in an expedient manner.

Court proceedings also revealed that two of the suspects gave extended interviews to investigators after the incident.

A detective interviewed Royce Haynes for an hour and a half at the hospital, while Aujawan Hymon was interviewed for 3 1/2 hours the night of the shooting and again two days later. The judge ruled that at least one of those interviews was given freely and voluntarily.

He will review the other interview in its entirety before making a ruling.

District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones, the lead prosecutor, defended the state’s timeline, noting they recently received school board police records regarding three defendants who had prior encounters with law enforcement while in school.

Jones argued the state has a right to prepare and continue gathering evidence leading up to trial.

Because one defense attorney could not attend Monday, the core arguments surrounding gang evidence were postponed. Hearings resume Tuesday at 9 a.m., where the state’s gang expert and the medical examiner are expected to testify.