On September 19, 1995, Preston Grant Hawkins, aged 17, was confronted by two armed men in a hotel laundry room after an earlier trivial dispute. He panicked and shot both of them, one of them was killed.
He fled from the scene instead of calling the police, and was later arrested, charged and convicted of first degree murder.
The prosecution claimed he had intent to murder the men before the confrontation, when in truth it was an ugly armed confrontation initiated by the two other men. Perhaps Preston should not have opened fire, but he was afraid they would shoot him first. This was certainly not first degree murder.
Preston’s girlfriend was also charged, and was persuaded to testify against him to support the prosecution’s theory of what occurred.
The full story is set out very clearly on the website Preston Grant Hawkins ” Truth and Justice”.
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