Accused Teammate Killer’s Ex Speaks Out on Victim’s Death

All right. I don't know. All right, for the drink. Okay. All right. All right. Thank you. May be seated. >> Please swear to the testimony you're about to give the truth. The whole truth about Yes. Good afternoon, Mson. Please state your name and spell it for the record. >> Sherry Abramson. S H E R R Y A B R A M SL. Um, I'd like to kind of take you back to 2006 and your time at University of Miami. Um, can you tell the members of the jury when you began at the University of Miami? >> In the fall of 2001. >> And um, what was your major? >> Architecture. >> What year did you graduate? >> 200 20. >> It was a fiveyear program. So it was 2006 or >> was it like an accelerated sort of masters program? Did you get to do both at the same time? >> Uh I did do both. Um yeah. >> While you were at uh M, where did you live? >> I lived on campus. My freshman year. I moved into an off-campus apartment. second semester freshman year and then I had a number of apartments after that. >> Let's go back to sort of 2005 2006. Where did you live back then? >> In Miami Beach mostly. >> What was the address of that? >> That was 1508 Michigan Avenue. >> Now, as a student, um, were you employed? >> I was. >> Where were you employed? Pottery Barn. >> Which location? >> Sunset Place. >> Um, how long did you work there? >> Uh, roughly a year, something like that. Maybe a little bit more. >> What were Um, obviously it's retail, right? So, what were your shifts like? >> I don't know. They >> standard like did you work like eight hours? Do you remember what your week was like? >> Uh, I was part-time and I just kind of worked around my school schedule. >> Were you a full-time student? >> Yes. >> During your time at M, did you meet any members of the University football team? >> Yes. >> Can you tell me some of the members that you were familiar with? um my brother, >> what's his name? >> Ross. Um and then just kind of by association with some of his friends. I mean there were numerous >> familiar with Brian P. >> I was not I mean I knew who he was. Yes, I was not friends with him. >> What about Rashan Jones? >> Yes, I knew him and was friends with him. >> How did you know? >> Oh, I think we met through a mutual friend. And were you guys just friends >> for some time? Yes. >> Did that relationship change? >> Yeah, we began dating. >> Around what time did you guys start dating? >> I don't recall. >> Let's look at 2006. Um, would you have been dating? I'll give you a specific date, right? November 7th, 2006. Um, that's murder of Brian Paddle. Let's talk in relation to that time. Around when from sort of that date did you start dating him? >> Before it >> before were you guys together for weeks, months by that point? >> I don't know. Yeah, I don't recall. It wasn't a new relationship. I could tell you that, but I don't know if it was weeks or months. >> Were you all exclusive? >> We're not. Um, can you sort of expand on what kind of relationship you guys had? Were you friends with benefits? Were you seeing other people? >> Yeah, we were seeing other people. I'd like to just touch really um Let me go back to So, your apartment was in Miami Beach. Um, did the defendant ever stay at your apartment? >> Yes. >> How often? >> Um, maybe a night a week. Maybe something around like that. Maybe one night a week. >> Um, did you ever stay at his apartment? >> Rarely, but yes, I had. remember where he resided? >> Yes. >> Where was that? >> Villas. Okay. So, you guys had been It wasn't a new relationship you had said. Um, did you ever meet anybody in his family? >> I did. Who did you meet? I met his Gany. That's his grandmother. Um, I met his mother, sister, niece, nephew. Um, >> did he ever meet any members of your family? >> He did. >> Who did he meet? >> Um, my mother and brother. Maybe an aunt of mine. I don't recall. >> Back in 2006. What kind of car were you driving? >> I think the Range Rover. Yeah, the Range Rover Sport. >> Did you also drive Maserati? >> Mhm. >> And what about a Chrysler? >> Yep. >> Was that your car? >> It was in my name. Yes. >> And whose car was that? >> Uh, that was Rashan's car. >> Did you buy the car? I put the car in my name and then he gave me his checks from the football team. >> Okay. >> Checks from the football team. >> Yeah. I don't know how it works. Something like athletes get paid by the team and I don't know, but he would give he would make the payments on the car, but it was in my name. >> Did you ever let him drive your Maserati or the Range Rover? >> The Range Rover? Yes. I don't think he drove the Maserati. What about a cell phone? Did you ever pay for a cell phone? I don't recall if I paid for it or not. Um, did you ever point see his firearm? Never. Let's talk a little bit about Brian. Did you ever talk about Brian Potter with the defendant? >> Not that I can recall. >> Did the defendant like Brian? Um I mean he didn't discuss liking him or disliking him with me. >> Did you know whether or not he liked him? I think that there was a mutual dislike between the two. Yes. >> Is it fair to say that they didn't get along? >> I think at a point they didn't get along. Yes. >> Do you know why they didn't get along? >> I mean again that wasn't a conversation that like I was a part of. >> Did you ever talk with him about Jada Brody? I had known about a situation with Jada. Yes. I don't know if it was necessarily Rashan that I spoke about Jada with. >> Did you ever know uh whether or not the defendant and Jada had a relationship prior to him being with you? >> I'm not sure if it was prior to him being with me or during the same time that we were together, but um I think there was communication between the two of them. Yes. I could not tell you when nor to what extent. I don't know. Let's talk a little bit about Bear with me a second. I just want to make sure we stay in order. Okay. I'd like to take you to November 7th, 2006. Um, how did you find out about the murder of Brian Pana? >> After I left work, I um it was I found out from Willie Cooper. >> Where were you working at? >> That was at Pottery Barn. I was leaving Pottery Barn and I don't have any cell service there. >> Okay. >> So, as I was leaving is when I found out. >> Take a second and talk about Pottery Barn. Um, did do you recall that a fender ever called you while you were at work at Pottery Barn? >> I don't recall. >> Do you know if he had the phone number to Pottery Barn? >> Um, yeah. I'm Yes. knowing that I was there working. >> If there was a call on his records, I mean, was there anybody else at Pottery Bar that he knew? >> No, it would have just been me. >> Okay. So, you said you got notified from Willie Cooper, right? >> Um, around what time did you leave work that day? >> I don't recall. It was the evening. It That's the best I could say. And after you left work, where did you go? >> Home. Did you go straight home? >> I think so. >> Did you stop at the defendants's house? >> No. Did you stop at one? >> No. So you around what time do you think you got home that night? I don't know, maybe 8 or 900 p.m. Okay. So, is it fair to say that the the sort of communication from Willie Cooper happens sometime between 7 and 8:00 p.m.? Yes. Maybe 7 to 900 p.m. I don't recall what time I got off that day. Communication from Willie would have happened sometime between 7:00 and 9:00 and you made it home around it sounds like 9:00 p.m. the latest would have you would have been home. >> I think that sounds right. >> Okay. >> Who were you with when you got the notification from William? >> I was by myself. >> What did you do when you got that call? Um, I panicked. >> Why? >> Um, because somebody was dead. >> Then Willie told me that he couldn't get in touch with Sean and I was scared he was dead. >> Why are you scared? Um because somebody had also shot Willie Cooper, another football player. And so it was Willie and then Brian and then I don't know. >> Hold on. Let's let's go back to it. So you are worried Brian is dead and so now you're worried because Rashan is dead. >> Yeah. >> Were you worried because they didn't get along? >> No. >> Okay. So, what do you do as you're worried? Do you try to call the defendant? >> Yeah. >> How many times you call? >> I don't know. Obsessively, I'm sure. >> Okay. Going back sort of 2006, you say the word obsessively like what what would that mean? What's obsessively to you? Like one time, two times? >> More? >> More than that? >> Yeah. >> So, would it be fair to say you're like blowing up his own car? >> 100%. Yes. >> Were you only calling him? >> No. >> Who else did you call? >> Danny. >> Okay. And she's from Lake City, right? >> Yes. >> Okay. Now, I think we've sort of done a pocket. You said Willie's calling you between 7 and 9. >> Mhm. Um, are you we'll say around that time is when you're making these phone calls >> ish. Yeah. I mean like maybe I wasn't calling as I was driving. So maybe it was after that in that whole period of time. Yeah. >> Okay. >> So you're blowing up his phone at some point. At some point um do you get into contact with him? >> Yes. >> Okay. Let's go back a second before you get in contact with him. >> Okay. >> Um on November 7th, um the defendant changes his phone number. Did you have his new phone number when you were reaching out to him? >> I don't recall. >> If you did have it, do you remember how you got it? Um, I mean, kind of. >> He told me in the hallway that I got on him the phone. So, I mean that. >> Okay. Well, if you were you the authorized user on his his account? >> I don't know. At this time, a state would seek to introduce judgment previously marked as states and previously shown the defense as states exhibit 2F for identification purposes as states. >> Any objection? >> No objection other than our previous. >> Okay. Statement that the two marks for identification now becomes statements made. >> And at this time, a state will seek to introduce previously marked as states 2G for identification purpose and previously shown offense as states >> 29 I guess. >> Yes. I was waiting for that. >> Yeah. No. 29. Um, Verizon Warriors, was that your carrier back then? >> Yes. >> And was that the defendant's carrier back then? >> Yes. >> I mean, of one of the phones. He had a number of phones. >> Okay. Um, >> not all at one time. So, one of his phones that he had that you communicated with were Verizon, right? >> Did anyone in your family work for Verizon Wireless? >> My father owned Verizon Wireless franchises. >> Okay. So, stores, whatever. >> I'm going to show you what's been previously marked as states exhibit 24 or and what has been previous, excuse me, entered into states exhibit 24. Members join us. Okay. Right. So, um, at the top here, what carrier is that? >> That's Verizon. >> And then whose name is listed? Right. >> Sean. >> Okay. And the address under his is what? >> My address at 1508 Michigan Avenue. >> Um, does that what if anything does that mean to you? Does it do it mean anything to you? Um, I mean aside from that was his phone. Would he have to your knowledge did he have your address listed in any of his other personal sort of documents in his bank or with anything else? >> I don't know. I I don't know. Okay. So, you were you said you were calling him obsessively. You had reached out to him um quite a few times. At what point do you get in contact with him? >> I'm not sure. He either called me back or he answered one of my phone calls. >> Okay. Now, >> was would this phone call have been so after you were already at a Pottery Barn? >> Yeah. >> Almost at home. >> Yeah. >> So, it would have been later later in the night, >> I think. So, it wasn't immediate. >> Now, that day, do you remember talking to him at all? >> Yeah. Like before I went to work? >> Sure. Before you went to work? >> No. Were you guys in communication at all throughout the day? >> I don't know. >> So, by the time that Willie calls you, had you again I guess when was the last time that you maybe remember talking to Rashan? >> I don't recall. Don't recall talking to him before you went to work? >> I don't know if it was the night before, if it was the morning I went to work. I do not know. It was I don't know somewhere within that time frame in a day. We had not gone several days without speaking. >> Were you aware that on November 7th the defendant had been suspended of the team? >> Yes. >> How did you become aware of that? >> Willie told me. Okay. >> That was the first time that you had heard that he had been suspended. >> Yeah. Okay. So, did you reach out to any of the coaches to see if you could get in contact with Persan? >> Um, so I mean again I don't recall but I do know I mean I was told that I had reached out to sees >> and that was because you were concerned for the defendant. >> Objection leaving us the form of the question. >> Why' you call them? Why'd you reach out to all these people? to try and find Rashan, to see if anybody knew if he was okay, alive, anything. >> All right. So, at some at some point you make contact with him. What um does he tell you? >> That he was okay. >> Is that all he tells you? I mean, I I don't recall the whole conversation, but the gist of it was that he was okay. He had been suspended. That was that was it. It was That's all I can remember. And then I was probably asking him when I would see him because I did see him later. >> Did he come over to your apartment? Yes. >> What time did he come? >> Late. I don't recall. I mean, after I got home from work. >> Were you aware that he didn't he was the only person who didn't go to the hack center that night? >> Objection assumes Fox. >> I don't know what were you aware that he was the only person who didn't go to that the hack center for the mandatory meeting that there may >> No, I was not aware. Wasn't when Willie Cooper called you. Um, wasn't he looking for Rashan? >> Yeah, but he didn't tell me that everybody else was there. >> But did he tell you he was looking for him cuz he wasn't at the meeting? >> Um, I don't >> I don't really recall if he was saying I'm looking for him for the meeting. I think it was just more like where is he? Do you have you been in touch with him type of thing. He we didn't the the meeting was I mean not something he discussed with me. >> Okay. So when you spoke with Rashan um what if anything did you tell him? >> Uh I don't know. >> Did you tell him what had happened to Brian? >> I don't recall. I mean, I don't know how it came up, but yeah, it was something like, you know, we did discuss that um Brian was killed and that's where I expressed my concern. You know, I just wanted to know that he was okay. >> Did he tell you um how he found out? No. >> Real move. Did he tell you at any point whether or not his phone was off? >> No, he didn't tell me. I knew it was off. >> How did you know it was off? >> So, I was calling him like a psycho. I am showing you what's been marked estates exhibit 25. Uh what has been excuse me entered into that is estates exhibit 25. Um so you said when you were looking for him you were reaching out to sort of everyone. You were calling his grandmother. Um she lives in Mid City. >> Yeah. >> Now I'm just showing you the first page. What carrier is that? >> Verizon. Whose name is that? >> Mine. >> Do you recognize um this phone number here? 2011. >> Yeah. >> Is that your phone number? >> Yes. >> So, I'm going to draw your attention to we'll say 1912. It's about 7:12 p.m. >> Okay. I'm going to give you this pink highlight here. We've heard from Detective Helman that 986 was the Lake City area code. Can you It's 386. >> 386, excuse me. Thank you. 386. So, can you take this pink highlighter and just look through these columns here and highlight where you see the 386 area code? You can flip through that page and the next one. >> Like, are you saying I didn't call her or something? I don't know. >> I'm just asking. I like wherever that 386 caller. Hey, you don't see it? You don't see it? >> I don't know. >> Okay. Cuz I had also a home phone at the time. So, if I was home from work, I potentially would have called her from that. Okay. I don't Why is my own phone number in here? I called myself. I don't get it. It's the Well, it's the outgoing. This would be the the person who dials us on this side. >> I dialed these numbers. >> You're the you're the dialing party. These are the numbers that that you called. >> But this is my number. >> Mhm. This is who called you. >> Oh, here's 386. Here's 386. >> Okay. >> This is who called me? >> Nope. I just want you to look right here. >> This is who I called. No, I just want you to look straight down here for the 386 number. >> Oh, it's on the other side. >> Mhm. Thank you so much. Okay. >> All right. So, around what time did Rashan come to your apartment that night? >> I don't recall the time. >> And why did he come there that night? uh to I don't know to go to sleep or when he got there. What was he like? >> Uh I don't I don't know. He was he upset? >> He was definitely disappointed in himself. This was a huge obstacle for him to get through. It's the second time he was suspended. He was already not like one of the starters or star player. So, this was not good and he knew it. >> So, somebody had just died. He was more concerned about being suspended from the team. >> Objection. Leaving. >> Oh, I mean, no. Yeah. I'm sure he was upset that someone had been, you know, killed, but my concern obviously was for him. So, that's more the direction that our conversation went. Like, what is he going to do now that he's suspended again? Bear with me. One second. when When you finally talked to Rashan, did he tell you where >> on the phone or in person? >> I'm sorry, what? >> On the phone or in person? >> When you when you first talked to him? >> Okay. >> Um, did he tell you where he spent the afternoon? >> No. >> He didn't tell you where he was. >> I I didn't ask him. I don't know. That wasn't my concern. So when you asked him where he had been all day, what did he tell you? >> I'm not sure that I asked him that. So, you were looking for him all day at least at least in the evening hours and you didn't know where he was and you didn't ask him where he was. >> Objection. Leaving. Go. >> No. My concern at the time was not where are you, it's are you okay. So, >> are you okay? Where are you? Wasn't something that you had asked him. Objection. Ask the rule. Um, I don't know how to better answer your question. I'm sorry. >> When you were with him, was his phone going off? Were people calling him? >> I don't recall. Did he tell you why he didn't go to the TV meeting that night? Not that I can remember. Do you remember talking to um detectives in this uh detectives are going to reach out to you? >> Yes, numerous times. >> Do you remember talking to detective Pat Diaz? >> No, I don't remember any of their names. >> Okay. Do you remember talking to detectives? >> Yep. >> Do you You remember talking to reporters in this case? >> I have. And do you know whether or not when you spoke at least with the reporters that was reported? >> It has been. >> Have you had an opportunity to listen to that? >> I have not. Would listening to that or at least reading a transcript of it help refresh your recollection as to what you told them? >> Proper refreshction. >> Um, would it refresh my memory now? I'm not sure. I mean, what I said is what I said to them. So reading back your own words or listening to your own voice wouldn't help you remember what you told them five six years ago. If that I'm not denying what I've said, so I'm not sure. Do you want me to read it? May I watch the witness? >> Yes. what you're trying fix. Okay. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat up here. All right. Can I continue? Okay. >> I mean, I just read some of my responses. Okay. Um, so Do you recall after reading that um where the defendant told you he was that afternoon? I don't recall, but I see my statement that he was driving around. Something along those lines was my response. Is that something that he would do often? >> Yeah, that's my next comment. He loved going for drives alone. He would just go he would go anywhere. He'd go up 95 for a drive. He'd go down Ocean Drive. He would he would just go always. He liked to smoke like a cigarette and drive. Put his stupid music on really loud. It wasn't surprising to me. It wasn't out of character. Do you recall whether you got in contact with any of his family members that day? >> Objection. I'm not sure. Is the witness going to stay with the document? >> You can flip it over. >> Flip it over. >> The whole packet just flipped right on. >> Oh. >> Do you recall whether you got in contact with any of his family members that day? I I mean according to this I did but I think I also already said that I did >> that I had tried to reach out to his grandma and his sister. >> Did you make contact with them? >> I believe I did. Um judge. Thank you. I have no further questions. All right. Thank you. Hi. So, the state asked you a number of questions. I want to start with the phone records. So, >> the phone records do the exhibit phone there. Oh, actually I'm sorry. I grabbed my shirt. Yes. So, do you see a call from Mr. Jones from Ran at 7:43? >> Yes, I do. >> And what about at 7:46? >> Yeah. >> And that would have been after um Mr. Pat was killed, >> right? Now, you were also asked if you reached out to family members, coach, some other people, and you said that you wanted to see if Rashan was okay. Is that right? >> Yes. >> Um, you weren't calling him because you were concerned that he had just killed someone, were you? No, I was concerned for him being potentially killed as well. >> And you mentioned that that concern came from other things that were happening around that time. >> Well, yes, because like I said before, Willie Cooper had been shot, another football player. So Willie was shot and then I get out of work and I get to the panic that Brian was shot and then nobody could find Rashawn. So my mind went to the worst case. So I was worried that he had been shot. >> You were concerned that players were being targeted. >> I was concerned that there were now two players shot and I was concerned that he was the third. And these just taking a step back from it all, these events happened 20 years ago, right? >> Yeah. >> Did you keep a diary that night? >> No. >> Did you make any recorded statements that night? >> No. >> Did you memorialize anything that happened that night? >> No. >> So, when you're sitting here today and you're testifying, that is entirely from your memory. >> To my best recollection, yes. And when you said that you don't remember, is it because you genuinely do not remember? >> No, I genuinely don't remember. >> Are you covering for Mr. Jones in any way? >> No. >> The student also asked you if you had ever seen Rashawn with a firearm or sorry, I think they asked you if you had ever seen Bran firearm. Right. That's what they asked you. >> I believe so. And did you know to have a firearm? >> I did not. >> So you never saw him with any firearm? >> I did not. >> And a couple of weeks ago, you were arrested on a material witness. >> Sustain to strike your order. >> Okay. disregard the last statement. And so just to be clear, um any statements that you've made, so actually let me rephrase that. In 2021, you gave us one statement, right? I couldn't tell you the year, but I've given numerous statements of yes. >> And so again, just talking big picture, 20 years ago when this happened, when Brian Carter was killed and people were being interviewed, was that the first time that you were interviewed around then? >> Close in time to by the police for the ex by the police. Yes. >> Yeah. They came to my apartment one afternoon. And is it fair to say that that would have been 2006, 2007? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> When was the next time that you heard from the police after that? >> Oh, man. A long years. I don't even know how many years. >> Over a decade. >> Yeah, I would say. That's sounds right. I don't. It was a long time just getting Okay. And so that that um it had been over a decade since you had uh spoken with the police. And then when they did speak with you, do you remember that there was a prosecutor there, detectives there later on? And now talking about the 2021 statements. >> So in 2021 they showed up at my house again. Um and I wouldn't talk to them there because I mean I have a family and I don't know this is not something I wanted to bring my family into. Um so yeah I met with them at Starbucks. You met with them at Starbucks and were you um told anything that you had previously stated before that? So, did they tell you what you had said before that? >> Objection, judge, to the formal question. It's confusing. >> How? >> You're saying the detectives? >> The detectives. >> The second time that I met them I mean, they had to refresh my memory quite a bit. >> And so, in refreshing your memory, they weren't refreshing your memory with your previous sworn statements, right? You hadn't given a sworn statement before 2021. No, I had just met with the two detectives in right shortly after the murder and then um I don't know if that was like a sworn statement or whatever that was called. Um and then however many years later, 10 years later, something like that. Um I I didn't remember a lot. So >> Okay. They filled in the blanks for you. >> They filled in the blanks for me. >> And so going back to that initial meeting when those two detectives came to speak with you, um, was were Sean there? >> Yes. >> Okay. And did he have any issue with you speaking with the police? >> No, I was not going to and he encouraged me to. We were driving and I got a phone call from the building manager saying that there was two detectives here to speak to you. I happened to be with him in the car and I was like, "This is crazy. Why are they talking to me?" And he said, "Go find out." And so I turned the car around. I went back over there and we pulled up to valet and the two detectives were standing there and the two of us get out of the car together. And at that point um when they tried to speak with you or when they wanted to speak with you did Rashan say something to the effect of >> anything self- serving >> here. Okay. >> At that point at that point did they speak with you alone? Um and if so how did that come to be? >> They would only speak to me alone. They would not speak to the two of us together. >> Okay. And once that was clarified did Rashan have any issue with that? He was encouraging me to go and talk to them. He had no problem with that. >> And you also um mentioned that you have a family now. You have kids. You didn't want to bring them into this. >> Correct. >> So it it's not easy for you to be here testifying, is it? >> It's not at all. No further questions. Okay, redress. >> Defense council pointed out that at 7:43 we got a call from Rashan Jones, defendant. What did he tell you? >> I don't recall. So there were two phone calls back to back. I don't know if we spoke in the first call or not. I I don't know. >> So when you previously tested direct, you hadn't heard from him and you didn't know where he was and you know Willie Cooper was looking for him. You in fact had talked to him um at around 7:43. >> Objection mischaracterizing the evidence called >> you in fact had talked to him at 7:43. >> I'm not sure that I had spoken to him. He called me. I don't know if we spoke or not. I I don't recall. Um when you met with U detectives uh back in 2007, didn't didn't you tell Pat Diaz that you were worried that Rashawn was going to get blamed for something? >> I don't recall that was the first or the second one. At least in 2007 when you met with Detective Patz. >> Oh, 2007 said that Rashan was encouraging you to talk to the police. >> Yeah, he did. >> Didn't you recall telling Patz that you were in fact worried that he lodged? >> Objection. He said improper engagement. >> I don't recall. I wasn't necessarily worried about him being blamed at that night. I I don't know what you mean. So, do you you don't remember saying it or you? >> I don't. >> Did you know that the other UN player that you were talking about was shot by other UN player? >> Willy. >> Objection. Facts. Not evidence. >> Did you know >> who? Which one? >> The one you were talking about before. I think it was Willie >> that he was shot by a player. >> I didn't know that. >> Okay. Um, you in fact stayed in touch with the defendant and his family even after you guys broke up. >> Minimally. Minimally. >> And you've in fact given them money over the years. Is that correct? >> Yes. >> Okay. Um, and then you had said that your statements weren't memorialized at some point, but they were in fact memorialized by a reporter. >> Correct. >> I to a degree. Yeah. >> In fact, the statements that you gave were actually reported. I mean, the ones that you just had me read are those are my words. >> Okay. No further questions. Thank you so much. >> All right. Thank you. Your team shall get us.