Eyewitnesses testify in Sandusky murder trial

SANDUSKY — Sobs from relatives could be heard in court as prosecutors showed crime scene photos from Anthony Pearson's fatal shooting in August 2017 in MacArthur Park.The trial for Pearson's accused killer, 31-year-old Joel Miles, of Parkview Boulevard, went into its first day of testimony in Erie County Common Pleas Court on Thursday. Four witnesses, including eyewitnesses to the shooting and police officers who responded to the scene, took the stand.Several eyewitnesses described the moments leading up to Pearson's death on Parkview Boulevard. One witness said Pearson and Miles got into a verbal altercation apparently stemming from a separate incident earlier that day.In that earlier incident, Miles apparently confronted Pearson at a store in the 800 block of Pierce Street, Erie County prosecutor Kevin Baxter said in his opening statement. Baxter said evidence, which will be presented in the coming days, shows Miles allegedly pulled a gun on Pearson, apparently mistaking him for a local drug dealer who allegedly sold drugs to a woman Miles knows.Several eyewitnesses testified that after the initial exchange of words with Miles, Pearson left the area in his red pickup before returning several minutes later with another man. Pearson and Miles apparently exchanged more words before Miles left the scene.Then a shot rang out and eyewitnesses saw Pearson dead in the driver's seat of his still-running truck. He had a single gunshot to the back of the head, according to witness testimony. Miles then allegedly walked to the driver's seat of the truck carrying two guns, used a gun to lift Pearson's head and addressed a group of bystanders."(Miles) said 'that m-----f----- dead' and (that) if we say anything we'll be dead too," one witness testified.Miles' attorney Russell Leffler claimed his client was not the man who killed Pearson, citing an eyewitness apparently not identifying Miles in a photo array.The prosecution also showed a 90 minute video interview of Miles with Sandusky police on Aug. 4, 2017, when Miles returned to Sandusky to speak with detectives. Miles can be seen with his head in his hands as a detective listed the evidence they had pointing to him, and Miles repeatedly reiterated during the interview he did not shoot Pearson."I was willing to come here and talk to you," Miles told Sandusky police Detective Ron Brotherton in the recorded interview. Brotherton told Miles in the interview eyewitnesses said he was the one holding the gun, and that they had cellphone records showing he made a call from MacArthur Park the night of the shooting.On Friday, more recorded video interviews between police and Miles will be shown, and more witnesses are expected to testify.Visit our Erie County Common Pleas court hub for more storiesReach reporter Brandon Addeo at brandonaddeo@sanduskyregister.com, follow him on Twitter @BrandonAddeo and follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterJoel Miles (right) listens to his attorney Russell Leffler (left) during the first day of Miles' murder trial Thursday. Miles is accused of killing Sandusky resident Anthony Pearson in 2017.