Cold case murder trial could

be in jurors’ hands by Tuesday

GRIFFIN, Ga. (AP) — The murder trial of one of two white Georgia men accused of killing a black man in 1983 could go to the jury as early as Tuesday.

WXIA-TV reports jurors on Friday heard a profanity-laced audio recording of defendant Frank Gebhardt and police. Gebhardt repeatedly denied any involvement in Timothy Coggins’ death.

Coggins’ body was found in Spalding County on Oct. 5, 1983. Sheriff Darrell Dix said Coggins was killed after socializing with a white woman. Authorities say Coggins was stabbed and dragged behind a truck.

Another man, Bill Moore Sr., is also accused in the case. His trial will take place later.

Jurors were dismissed for the weekend shortly before noon. Prosecutors said they expect to call two more witnesses Monday, and then it will be the defense’s turn.

Man charged in bike path killings

speaks in court of ‘Allah’

NEW YORK (AP) — The man charged with murdering eight people on a New York City bike path and injuring many more spoke out in court Friday over a prosecutor’s objection, invoking “Allah” and defending the Islamic State.

Sayfullo Saipov, 30, raised his hand to speak immediately after U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick set an Oct. 7, 2019 date for the Uzbek immigrant’s trial.

Earlier, he had pleaded not guilty through his lawyer to the latest indictment in the Oct. 31 truck attack near the World Trade Center. A prosecutor said the Justice Department will decide by the end of the summer whether to seek the death penalty against Saipov, who lived in Paterson, New Jersey, before the attack.

Speaking through an interpreter for about 10 minutes, Saipov said the decisions of a U.S. court were unimportant to him. He said he cared about “Allah” and the holy war being waged by the Islamic State.

At the prompting of Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Houle, Broderick interrupted Saipov to read him his rights, including that anything he said in court could be used against him.

“I understand you, but I’ m not worried about that at all,” Saipov said.