Georgia trio must testify in Willis trial in Tennessee

RINGGOLD, Ga. -- Three Georgia residents subpoenaed to testify in the Tennessee double murder trial of Howard Hawk Willis got no relief Wednesday from Catoosa County Superior Court Judge Ralph Van Pelt Jr..

"If it was a DUI trial, I wouldn't make you go," Judge Van Pelt told Joy Gadd, one of the trio who hoped to avoid a trip to Johnson City, Tenn., to testify in the trial that begins Monday.

Mr. Willis, 58, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of abuse of a corpse. The state is seeking the death penalty if he is convicted.

Ms. Gadd, Brian Brown and Bradley Walters appeared for a hearing on subpoenas issued by Mr. Willis. He is representing himself in the 2002 dismemberment deaths of teen newlyweds Adam Chrismer and Samantha Leming, of Chickamauga, Ga.

Ms. Gadd said Mr. Willis wants her and her son, Mr. Brown, 28, to testify about credit cards that belonged to Mr. Willis' stepfather, Sam Thomas of Bradley County, Tenn.

Mr. Thomas' headless, armless body was found on the Dade County-Walker County line atop Lookout Mountain on Oct. 17, 2002, the same day the two teens' bodies were found in a Johnson City storage unit.

Ms. Gadd, 50, said she doesn't believe her and her son's memories about Mr. Thomas' credit cards were from a time frame that would help Mr. Willis' defense.

"If there was something I could testify to that would help, then I would be more than willing to go," she said. "The credit cards have nothing to do with the killing of the kids."

Mr. Brown declined to comment.

None of the three can provide any helpful defense testimony, said Mr. Willis' ex-wife, Wilda Gadd, who attended Wednesday's hearing and is a material witness in the trial.

Wilda Gadd said she believes Mr. Willis will try to imply the teens killed Mr. Thomas and then were killed by others. But she claimed Mr. Willis confessed about the killings to her while he was in jail.

Wilda Gadd's son, Mr. Walters, 25, said he believes Mr. Willis wants him to testify about the identities of two people -- presumably the slain teens -- but he said he didn't see one person's face and only saw the other person one time for a few minutes at night.

"This is something that happened about eight years ago," said Mr. Walters, shaking his head after the hearing. He called the summons to testify "ridiculous."

Authorities have said Mr. Willis is suspected in Mr. Thomas' death but no charges have been brought. Authorities are under a gag order issued in connection with Monday's trial.

The Chickamauga teens were reported missing in October 2002. A fisherman found what were later identified as Mr. Chrismer's head and hands in Boone Lake, near Johnson City. A few days later, pieces of the couple's bodies were found in the Johnson City storage unit.

Mr. Willis was indicted in Washington County the same month, and the case has been delayed repeatedly since then as the defendant fired more than half a dozen appointed attorneys. Because of the repeated firings, Mr. Willis was ordered to represent himself.

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