MOUNT VERNON — To build a case, prosecutors use witnesses to help provide the information as to what crime occurred, when it occurred and how it happened. Unfortunately, some crimes are committed without the watchful eye of another person. In those cases, the prosecution is often faced with the challenge of whether or not to believe the defendant’s story.
In the case of Wesley Park who was charged with the 2005 murder of Jonathan Sheasby, a witness to the crime was able to provide much needed information about the crime.
“We had a body, but we didn’t have a gun because Wesley Park was able to dispose of that gun somewhere,” Knox County Prosecutor John Thatcher said. “But, we did have a witness that could say what they were doing, albeit not a really credible one because he is part of three people on their way to commit another crime. He has a record, but it is better than no witness, who can say what happened.”
Thatcher said there is never a perfect case but having a witness to the crime, or one who can lead investigators up to the crime, and refute the defendant’s story, is essential to prosecuting to the fullest extent of the law.
