UPDATE 4:30 P.M.
EATONTON, Ga. (WGXA)- For more than two hours, jurors in the penalty phase of the Donnie Rowe capital murder trial heard from a Tennessee woman who identified Rowe and his alleged accomplice Ricky Dubose as the two men who held her and her husband hostage during a home invasion.
A tearful Becky Hickerson recounted how the men who invaded her Bedford County, Tenn. home on the afternoon of June 15, 2017, spent three hours holding her and her husband Bob at gunpoint.
Hickerson said during the ordeal the men demanded clothes, money, food, and a car.
Hickerson said earlier that same day, she and her husband saw a TV news story warning that Rowe and Dubose could be in middle Tennessee after escaping from Putnam County following the murders of the two Baldwin State Prison guards, Christopher LaMonica and Curtis Billue.
Hickerson said that the pair tied her and her husband up. She said before they left— they made a final threat. Hickerson said they said if the couple didn’t blame the home invasion on two Black men, they would return and murder them.
Hickerson said when she heard the men driving away in their Jeep, the couple worked to free themselves. Once they were free and able to call 911, the couple did not hesitate in offering authorities their captors true descriptions, including telling them they believed them to be Rowe and Dubose.
Bob Hickerson could not be in court with his wife today because he recently died from COVID.
However, the jury heard his 911 call and saw him corroborate his wife’s story through police body camera footage.
Stick with WGXA for continuing coverage of the Rowe trial.
In her own words: Hear portions of Becky Hickerson's testimony today.
UPDATE 12:45 P.M.
EATONTON, Ga. (WGXA)- Before the lunch recess, 10 prosecution witnesses took the stand this morning in day two of the penalty phase of the Donnie Rowe murder trial.
Prosecutors appear to be using their testimonies regarding a wide range of experiences to piece together a colorful and revealing tapestry of the character of convicted double murderer Rowe.
Among those taking the stand so far include a woman whose home was burglarized in Madison, Ga. just hours after officers Curtis Billue and Christopher LaMonica were murdered in Putnam County.
She testified to coming home and finding someone had broken into her residence. Amid the mess left behind was a prison uniform someone discarded before taking a shower.
Officers who responded to the Madison burglary scene also testified to the condition of the home and the discovery of the prison uniform.
Prosecutors also called a man whose truck was stolen from Georgia shortly after the murders— and his testimony was followed by a detective who told of discovering that stolen truck behind a rural Tennessee church that had been vandalized and broken into.
Testimony is set to resume at 12:50 pm this afternoon.
WGXA will bring you many more details about today’s proceedings later on WGXA.TV.
12:00 P.M.
EATONTON, Ga (WGXA)- The second day of the penalty phase in the Donnie Rowe murder trial is underway.
The morning started with the prosecution calling witnesses testifying about Rowe’s character and criminal conduct both before and after he murdered two Baldwin State Prison guards in 2017.
A retired TelfIair State Prison guard took the stand first this morning.
Ella Smith testified about an encounter with Rowe back in 2016 while he was incarcerated at the Teffair State Prison.
Smith said Rowe skipped the breakfast call one morning in April 2016. After the other prisoners in his block had already completed the breakfast call, Smith testified Rowe began violently banging on the door, cursing at her and demanding to be admitted to the mess hall.
Smith said when she told him no that Rowe threatened her.
The defense team attempted to counter her testimony by asking if she wrote Rowe up for disciplinary action. Smith confirmed that she had.
The defense then produced a jail document that indicated Rowe admitted his guilt in the incident with Smith and was punished by the prison.
The testimony after Smith is now focusing on witnesses testimony discussing Rowe’s activities after killing the guards and escaping.
In this penalty phase that started Friday, both the prosecution and defense will call witnesses testifying to Rowe’s character.
Then, the same jury who convicted Rowe on Thursday will decide if he should spend life in prison or be sentenced to death.