In the first day of Judge Dennis Blackmon's jury trial week Monday, Assistant District Attorney Jeff Hunt said the case of Egim Chris Etta-Tawo, Evan Donard Winston and Roudolphe Germain Jr. has been put off because of an evidence discovery issue.
Hunt said the three men's attorneys were accidentally not given all the information they needed from the district attorney's office, forcing a continuance.
The trial was first scheduled in February, but has been continued several times since then because of older cases.
Etta-Tawo was scheduled to appear on two separate cases — possession and distribution of marijuana, as well as felony murder and violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act.
Winston and Germain were indicted last October for the murder of Kevin Woods, 21, on counts of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, conspiracy to violate the Georgia Controlled Substances Act and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
In the original incident report filed, Carrollton Police Officer Brandon Wilson reported finding the victim dead in a Dodge Charger in the parking lot of Chateau Apartments on Hay’s Mill Road at approximately 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2, 2011, shortly after the shooting occurred.
According to Inv. Chad Taylor, it is currently the belief of police that Etta-Tawo had set up a marijuana deal between the victim and the other two suspects, which ended with Woods’ death. Winston and Germain reportedly drove off in a 1999 Toyota Camry.
Germain is being represented by Atlanta attorney Charles Brant, and Etta-Tawo is represented by Carrollton attorney Kevin Drummond.
Also continued Monday were the cases of two men accused of armed robbery.
Christopher Demond Almon and Thomas Arnold Kidd, as well as a 16-year-old juvenile, were arrested by Carrollton police in January for armed robbery, aggravated assault and giving police false information.
Villa Rica attorney Mac Pilgrim requested the continuance to December, saying he'd only had the case for a little more than a week.
Capt. Chris Dobbs of the Carrollton Police Department said the three were arrested from Chateau Apartments after officers traced cell phone calls made to local pizzerias back to a residence where they were located. The suspects had allegedly called for deliveries, then robbed delivery workers at gunpoint when they arrived.
The case was continued in October because Kidd's counsel in the case, Carrollton attorney Jason Swindle, had to withdraw because of a conflict. Pilgrim replaced Swindle as Kidd's counsel. Almon is represented by Bremen attorney Nathaniel Wheelwright.
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