JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A local man set to be executed next month for a 1993 double murder in Jacksonville’s Moncrief neighborhood is fighting for his life in court, but a sudden shake-up in his defense could hurt his chances.
On Monday, a key witness for Michael Bell’s defense abruptly went against his newly signed testimony.
Henry Edwards’ written testimony claimed police had asked him to lie during the initial murder trial; Now he says that was a lie.
Bell was convicted in 1995 for the murders of Jimmy West and Tamecka Smith. Last week, a judge ordered Monday’s hearing after Bell’s defense team submitted two newly signed affidavits by those witnesses.
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Their statements claimed they did not actually witness the shooting, and they were forced to lie on the stand by a detective on the case. Those two witnesses were Edwards and Charles Jones.
Before they took the stand Monday, the judge ruled that the witnesses would not be granted immunity from being charged with perjury, had they indeed lied to officials in the case.
Jones pleaded the Fifth to every question the defense asked him Monday, while Edwards essentially reversed his signed testimony to the defense.
“I thought ya’ll were making a movie or something,” said Edwards during his testimony on the stand Monday.
Bell is seeking to have his death sentence and conviction vacated by the court.
He is currently scheduled to be executed on July 15th, 2025, following Governor Ron DeSantis’ signing of his death warrant earlier this month.
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