GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — The murder trial for three men accused of shooting a football coach at a Peachtree Corners QuikTrip continued for the second day in court.
Defendants Josiah Hughley, David Booker and Miles Collins stand accused of killing Bradley J. Coleman in Gwinnett County during an attempted carjacking in July 2022 while he tried to put air in his car’s tires.
Channel 2′s Courtney Francisco was at the Gwinnett County courthouse where the trial is underway for the second day.
During the proceedings, tattoos were a key topic at the court.
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Prosecutors were trying to use the tattoos on Hughley, Booker and Collins to build a case that they were alleged gangsters with a history of carjacking.
As previously reported, all three men were alleged to have participated in gang activity with the Bloods.
In court Friday, jurors were shown photos of tattoos on all three defendants.
“They are gangsters, and this time, a friend, a father, a son, died,” Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney John Melvin told the court.
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Defense attorneys for the three men did not object to the photos.
On the first day of the murder trial, the attorneys said prosecutors did not have any evidence that their clients had a particular reason to try and steal a car, or kill anyone.
“What you’re not going to hear in the state’s case is any evidence that him, this, or this had any conversations - let’s steal a car for this reason,” Tracey Drake, who represents accused trigger man Hughley, said.
Going further, Drake said her client maintains that he is not a gang member.
“He said ‘I’m not in a gang, I do know gang members, I do hang out with some...I’ve been in trouble for,’ he said ‘I don’t like to mess with them. I’m not in a gang,’” Drake continued.
Aside from tattoos, cell phone data was a major topic in Friday’s trial. Prosecutors brought an investigator to the stand to prove cell phone towers showed the three men at the QuikTrip where Coleman died.
“The six-minute time period where I understood was critical for the investigation, we show the timing is consistent with being in the area in proximity of QT,” investigator Will Banks said.
The defense attorneys argued the cell phone towers have limits, and do not provide exact locations. Attorneys also denied their clients had gang affiliations.
In the courtroom, Coleman’s family was inside for every step of the process.
“God has not let us down,” Coleman’s mother Venetia told Channel 2 Action News. “He will not let us down. He will not fail us. We believe these three individuals that did this to our son are going to pay with their life in prison, for the rest of their miserable life.”
Ms. Coleman testified on Thursday, saying he had been visiting family in Gwinnett County with his daughter when he stopped at the gas station to fill his tires.
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