A judge on Monday dismissed a 26-year-old man’s attempted murder charges from 2012 after prosecutors announced that neither eyewitness could identify him anymore.
Ladarius Montrell Cross still faces 16 other criminal charges, mostly criminal trespassing, public intoxication and theft, and remains in Hamilton County Jail on a $75,000 bond, records show. Attorneys will return Friday to Hamilton County Criminal Court to determine whether his bond should be reduced.
Police said two victims, George Dillard and Alisha Twitty, flagged down an officer on Rossville Boulevard on July 4, 2012, claiming someone had shot at them in the 4100 block of Fagan Street.
They were transported to Erlanger hospital, where Twitty told police she and Dillard tried to buy cocaine, but three men approached the car saying, this is “Blood Territory,” records show. Later that month, Twitty said she recognized the shooter, Cross, from a mugshot in the “Just Busted” weekly crime newsletter.
Cross, who has since been charged with additional crimes, was scheduled to have a bond reduction hearing Monday. But shortly before lunch, prosecutor Kristen Spires announced she wanted to dismiss one of Cross’s indictments altogether.
“The victim, since this occurrence in 2012, has been shot and killed, and is no longer available,” Spires said.
The prosecutor was referring to Dillard, 24, one of two people shot dead at a home on East 13th Street in late January.
Twitty, the other witness, “has now made statements that are exculpatory in nature,” Spires said.
“She cannot identify Mr. Cross,” she added, “The state’s case was these two witnesses. Based on this evidence, the state cannot proceed.”
After the update, Judge Tom Greenholtz agreed to dismiss the charges, which include attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during a dangerous offense.
“In regards to the identification, the shooter was identified as [5 feet, 7 inches tall],” said Mike Acuff, Cross’s defense attorney.
Acuff motioned to his client, who appeared taller than 5 feet 7 inches, Greenholtz observed.
“We’re just trying to test that,” Acuff said.
Contact staff writer Zack Peterson at zpeterson@times freepress.com or 423-757-6347. Follow on Twitter @zackpeterson918.