Accused Romona Moore Murderer Takes the Stand

The trial of Romona Moore's accused murderers took a strange turn when one of the defendants, Kayson Pearson, testified. Since Pearson, along with co-defendent, Troy Hendrix, tried to stab a defense lawyer with a knife and take on other court officers during their first trial (it ended in mistrial), Pearson had to be shackled while on the witness stand, wearing black foam mittens. He was also ordered not to make any outbursts and not to show the jury his cuffs by the judge, who said that if Pearson attempted to cause a mistrial again, it wouldn't happen. Pearson denied that he killed Moore and instead claimed he hugged her good-bye, saying that his statement to the police about dumping Moore's body was the product of "creativity." Of course, a former friend of Pearson and Hendrix testified earlier that he saw Moore, a 23 year old Hunter College student, chained and beaten up in Pearson's basement.

Pearson and Moore are also on trial for kidnapping and raping a 15 year old girl; Pearson said that the girl consented to sex.