CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- The murder trial of Andre Grier continued into day two Wednesday.
Grier is charged with the first degree murder of Bianca Horton in 2016.
Horton was set to testify against Athens Park Blood gang member Cortez Sims, after Sims shot and paralyzed her one year old baby Zoey in a home invasion, a crime Sims has been convicted of.
Prosecutors believe that Grier, alongside Charles Shelton (who died in jail of Covid) and Courtney High (who pleaded guilty in 2024 to this murder), killed Horton before she could take the stand.
One topic of increasing conversation on day two of the Andre Grier murder trial is whether or not witnesses in this case could be intimidated. This concern, prosecutors say, parallels the fate experienced by Bianca Horton.
Sgt. Christopher Blackwell was one of the investigators who conducted interviews as authorities attempted to figure out who killed Bianca Horton.
The court played an interview he conducted with a witness, who we are keeping anonymous per court order, as are all lay witnesses in this case, to prevent intimidation.
That person told the detective that they knew Grier by his street name Hollywood, as they had seen them at the Stone Ridge Apartment complex where Horton lived at the time of her death.
Sgt. Blackwell on tape asked that witness, “Did you ever see Hollywood back out there after any of this?”
However on the stand Wednesday, they claimed to have never seen Grier there.
A different witness told police in 2018 that they had seen a van parked inside of the complex, the vehicle prosecutors believe was used in Horton’s murder.
Sgt. Blackwell on tape asked, “You say you saw him parked. What was he parked in at that time?”
However, just like the other witness, they too claimed they could not remember seeing that vehicle.
After those lay witnesses, one man was kicked out of the courtroom and banned for allegedly exchanging hand signals with Andre Grier and for talking to witnesses while still on the stand.
This is something that Sgt. Blackwell says is not uncommon in a case like this.
Grier’s defense attorney Kit Rogers asked, “In a high crime neighborhood, it’s not uncommon for people to not want to get involved?”
Sgt. Blackwell responded, “Yes, that’s correct.”
Rogers followed up, “So sometimes they don’t want to be a part of the investigation or talking to police, or their name being called at all?”
Sgt. Blackwell testified, “Yes, that’s correct.”
It was also revealed that Horton and Grier knew each other prior to her death.
Rogers asked, “Did you know if Andre Grier and Bianca Horton were friends?”
Sgt. Blackwell said, “Do I know if Bianca Horton and Andre Grier were… I knew they were acquaintances. I don’t know the status of their relationship.”
Rogers asked, “So you know they knew each other?”
Sgt. Blackwell responded, “Yes.”
The trial continues into Day 3.
If convicted, Andre Grier could face the death penalty.
