By Karen Hall

Staff Writer

Rumors which have been circulating since the murder of Penny Blackwell Coyle were stated as facts on the first day of the trial of Jerron Braden, 19, who is charged with killing her on the night of Nov. 21, 2011.

In his opening remarks to the jury, Assistant District Attorney Mike Randles said Coyle was like everyone, she was not perfect.

"One of her flaws was that she used crack cocaine," said Randles. He went on to say Coyle had been caught, and agreed to be a confidential informant for the Drug Task Force.

She made some controlled buys, Randles said, but "at least one person got suspicious, and that was Sharod Moore," also known as C-Moe.

Coyle was last seen alive at 8:30 p.m. at the Finish Line, a local bar, and was found dead in her car on Old Rock Crusher Road just after 11 p.m.

"They had their suspects, but they looked in all directions," Randles said of what law enforcement did in the hours and days after the murder.

They got an unexpected break on Dec. 8 when Braden walked in to the Juvenile Court Services office to turn himself in. He was supposed to be in the custody of the Department of Children's Services, but had been on the run.

According to Randles, Braden started off by saying maybe he needed to talk to the police "about something big." Over the course of several days, and several interviews, Braden told more, and finally, on Dec. 12, "pretty much told it all," in a five-page written statement.

Braden quoted C-Moe as saying, "The snitch needs to go," referring to Coyle and the reason for eliminating her.

"All you gotta do is pull the trigger," one of the other men told Braden, according to his statement, and he did.

"I know I hit her in the head," Braden stated.

Then it was defense attorney David McKenzie's turn to address the jury.

"Keep your mind open and look at the facts as they are and you will see the case in a whole different light," he told them. "The proof is going to show this man (Braden) did not have anything to do with the murder of Penny Blackwell Coyle," McKenzie continued. "Keep your eyes open to common sense and to the facts," he urged the eight women and six men who were selected for the jury.

McKenzie reminded them it took three days and five separate meetings to get what he called "a full-blown confession." After that, according to McKenzie, law enforecement said, "We got a story ... that's it. Let's not use the evidence" that doesn't point to Braden.

"We've got one fall guy in this case," McKenzie continued. "That mentally retarded boy sitting right over there."

The case is expected to last all week. The prosecution, led by Randles and Assistant District Attorney Eddie Barnard will call multiple witnesses who can testify to every piece of forensic evidence recovered from the car and the place where it was parked, and from Coyle's body.

Then the defense will have their chance to turn the case around.

"I will work tirelessly to let you see the entire truth," McKenzie told the jury. "Look at the facts and compare them to the story of this mentally retarded 18-year-old boy."

Late Monday afternoon, after the jury had been dismisssed, one of the young men mentioned in Braden's statement as a participant in Coyle's murder asserted his right to plead the Fifth Amendment. Assisted by his attorney, Bill Harold of the Public Defender's Office, the man stated under oath he would refuse to incriminate himself if he were called to testify about the events on the night of Coyle's death. It remains to be seen how this will affect the defense's case.