BARROW COUNTY, Ga. — The father of the suspect in the Apalachee High School shooting says he never consented for GBI agents to search his phone. Now, he wants what they found to be tossed out.
Colin Gray faces nearly 30 charges, including second-degree murder. Prosecutors say Gray gave the gun used in the deadly shooting by his son, Colt Gray, to kill two teachers and two other students.
In court on Thursday, prosecutors said Gray not only verbally consented, but signed a consent form as well.
The body camera video that prosecutors showed the judge, LIVE on Channel 2 Action News at 4:00 p.m.
Gray’s attorneys don’t want a jury to hear that before the deadly shooting, he had been texting his son. There were also emails about Colt Gray getting counseling.
GBI Special Agent Kelsey Ward testified that Colin Gray showed her text messages and emails about his son. That’s when she decided this was relevant information and asked him for consent to seize the phone and search it.
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She also says she got him to sign a consent form. Ward testified she never threatened Colt Gray in any way.
“Did he voluntarily provide you the phone?” the prosecutor asked Ward.
“He did,” she replied.
“Did he freely and voluntarily allow you to search his cell phone?”
“He did.”
The defense attorney got Ward to admit there were 10 to 20 officers there as the GBI, FBI, deputies with guns and officers searched the house.
His attorneys seemed to suggest it was an environment where someone would not feel comfortable not doing what officers asked you to do.
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