Sisters Say Defendant Was At Party

The Patriot News

December 11, 2004

By Reggie Sheffield

of The Patriot News

Two witnesses told jurors yesterday that Glenn D. Taylor was at a Halloween party at their house on the night that police say he and another city man killed a woman near Italian Lake in Harrisburg.

Taylor, 43, and Mwandishi Mitchell, 31, are charged with the shooting death of 23-year-old Haydee Freytes in the early morning of Nov. 1, 2000. Their murder trial continued yesterday in Dauphin County Court.

The testimony of sisters Linda and Cynthia Wihiarns placed Taylor miles away from the North Third Street area where other witnesses placed him the night of Oct. 31, 2000.

Police allege that Mitchell and Taylor kidnapped Freytes from an uptown Harrisburg street corner. They beat and gagged her before bringing her to Italian Lake, where Mitchell shot her to death with a 9mm handgun shortly after 1 a.m. on Nov. 1, police -said.

Testimony in the weeklong trial has indicated that Freytes may have been killed over $100 in heroin she took from Mitchell under the agreement that she would sell it for him.

Taylor is alleged to have assisted Mitchell in the homicide and provided Mitchell with heroin, authorities said.

Prosecution witnesses have said Taylor and Mitchell were in a car with Freytes that night, but have not agreed on which other passengers were in the car.

Linda Williams, who testified in front of a grand jury in June 2002, didn’t tell investigators about the Halloween party until May of this year. She said she, only recalled the party after her sister, Cynthia, reminded her of it some time Iater.

She remembered Taylor coming to the party because she was waiting on him to bring her money, she needed for some party supplies, Linda Williams said.

Taylor frequently stopped by because he enjoyed spending time with her younger brother, who suffers from cerebral palsy and must be watched around the clock.

Linda Williams knew Taylor to be “in business together” with Mitchell but hesitated at acknowledging whether she knew the two to be in the business of selling drugs.

“You knew them to be in business together,” First Assistant District Attorney Francis T. Chardo asked.

“Yes,” Linda Williams said.

“Through the drug trade?” Chardo asked.

“Whatever went on in the streets I left it in the streets,” Linda Williams said.

She admitted being scared to testify in the case because she said prosecutors and police had warned that she might be subjected to criminal prosecution for perjury if it was proved that she had lied either to the grand jury or yesterday in court.

“Are you scared right now?” Taylor’s attorney, Justin McShane asked.

“Yes. Yes I am,” Linda Williams said.

Linda Williams’ sister, Cynthia, said she specifically recalled Taylor being at the party but admitted that she left the party by 11 p.m. to go to sleep because she had to be at work early the next morning.

The trial is scheduled to resume Monday at 9 a.m. The jurors could receive the case for deliberation sometime later that day.

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