‘I (expletive) hate you,’ witness shouts at Fresno murder defendant from the stand
A key witness in the murder trial of Jerel Stanfield was escorted out of the Fresno courtroom Monday after an emotional outburst, prompting the defendant’s attorney to ask for a mistrial.
Lajeana Ramsey’s breakdown temporarily stopped the trial as Judge Jonathan Conklin ordered an immediate recess. He later denied the request for a mistrial.
Ramsey was the girlfriend of 23-year-old William Simpson, who police say was gunned down by Stanfield on March 31, 2013 while Simpson, Ramsey and Ramsey’s 3-year-old son were in a car parked outside a relative’s apartment in central Fresno.
The men were members of rival gangs and Ramsey has been reluctant to testify for fear of retribution.
Ramsey’s testimony and her credibility are critical to prosecutor’s Chris Gularte case.
Her version of what happened that night has been challenged by Stanfield’s defense attorney Kevin Little.
During questioning by Gularte, Ramsey tearfully testified about watching her boyfriend lay on the wet pavement, having a hard time breathing. She couldn’t immediately tell, but he had been shot several times.
“I grabbed him, and he was gasping for air,” she said.
But it was during Little’s cross examination that she broke down. Little was trying to explain to the jury that his client was not immediately identified by Ramsey as the man who killed her boyfriend.
Little suggested that Fresno police detective Andre Benson, who is now a lieutenant, steered Ramsey toward identifying Stanfield as the shooter.
Ramsey earlier testified that she saw Stanfield standing in front of Simpson’s white sedan after he was shot. She said Stanfield looked at her but she wasn’t sure if he had a gun in his hand.
She also testified that Stanfield got into a dark-colored mid-size SUV with three other people inside and drove off.
Little challenged her recollection by playing the 911 call from that night. On it, a hysterical Ramsey is heard screaming and crying asking for police and an ambulance to respond.
Little asked her if she gave the 911 operator Stanfield’s name or his description. At the time, Stanfield had long dreadlocks. She said she did not.
“I was more concerned about William,” she testified. “I needed someone to help me.”
Ramsey stood up from the witness chair and began shouting at Little that she didn’t want to continue.
“I need to go, please, I can’t do this no more,” she said while crying loudly. “I can’t do this.”
She turned to Stanfield and shouted, “I (expletive) hate you.”
Defense asks for a mistrial
As the jury left the courtroom, Ramsey was escorted out by several uniformed and plainclothes Fresno police officers who are there for protection against possible threats.
.After the courtroom was cleared, Little asked for a mistrial.
The judge denied his request, saying that Ramsey’s outburst was not out of line, given she was reliving the moment her boyfriend was on the ground dying from a gunshot wound.
After the lunch break, the judge spoke with Ramsey and reminded her about the the importance of maintaining her composure. She resumed testifying.
This is the second murder trial for Stanfield; the first in 2017 ended in a hung jury.
The trial resumed Tuesday.
This story was originally published January 23, 2023 at 6:45 PM.
