LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — On Wednesday, Lexington Police Detective Franz Wolff was back on the witness stand for the fifth day of the trial of the murdered Lexington Marine.
Quincinio Canada and Dawan Mulazim are accused of shooting and killing Marine Jonathan Price outside of Austin City Saloon in June 2014. The Marine’s wife was also shot that night, but she survived.
Megan Price, Jonathan’s wife, took the witness stand on Thursday, June 14. There, she stated that she was in a wheelchair for seven weeks after being shot. The couple had gone to Austin City Saloon for Megan’s birthday. She said that as they left the bar to go back home, they were approached by two men with guns. She said they were both shot and that the robbers stole $60 from her that night. She said her husband did not carry cash.
On Wednesday, prosecutors played a conversation between Mulazim and his wife that Wolff, the lead detective in the case, had listened in on. Mulazim’s wife had been charged with evidence tampering in the case. They claimed she was seen by an apartment manager and apartment maintenance worker throwing away clothes, including a New York Yankees hat.
While still on the witness stand, the defense questioned Wolff about Antonio Frye, the man from whom ATF says bought the alleged murder weapon in the Jonathan Price murder . The defense asked Wolff if he spoke with Frye. Wolff replied that he kept in communication with the agents working the federal gun case.
The defense then asked Wolff if police ever collected DNA from Frye to see if it matched the DNA found under Jonathan Price’s fingernails. Wolff said no. He said that in his experience, a stolen gun changes hands quickly and there is no evidence indicating Antonio Frye was at the murder scene. The defense then asked if Wolff put Antonio Frye’s photo in the line-up. He said no, there was no reason to do that.
The defense asked Wolff if he ever interviewed the cashier at the liquor store drive-through near Austin City Saloon. He said no, saying that by the time they received the video, thousands of other customers would have gone through the liquor store and the cashier wouldn’t have been able to give them good information.
A witness also took the stand Wednesday, saying that Canada admitted to him that he had killed somebody. He said he told police that Canada bragged to him about the killing. The man said he was beat up several times in jail by "Q-man and his boys". He said after the beating, he told defense investigators that he lied, but the witness said that he lied about lying. "I got into another fight. I never started any of these fights. All of these fights was over Q-man – ‘oh you better take your statement back, this, this, and that."
The defense asked the witness why anyone would brag about killing someone. The witness, Antonine Woods, said, "I have high status in this little city. People like to brag to me."
The jury is expected back in court Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
