Trial began Wednesday morning for 21-year-old Anshanique Leavell, who is charged with the 2019 shooting death of Amareya’ Freeman on Greenville Road.
Jury selection took up most of the morning, and once a jury was seated, Commonwealth’s Attorney Rick Boling got trial underway with his opening statements. He gave a review of the evidence he will present and gave an outline of the events that occurred the night of the fatal shooting—he says Leavell had gone to purchase marijuana from Freeman, but that something went wrong. It resulted in Freeman running back towards his apartment, and that’s when Leavell allegedly fired a shot at him, striking him in the arm and chest.
He says that Leavell is going to claim that Freeman had a gun, but he argues that there was never once any evidence found that Freeman was armed. Defense attorney Michael Thompson deferred on an opening statement, saying he will do so at a later time in the trial.
Hopkinsville Police Department Captain Seth Meek was first on scene the night of the shooting, and says he discovered Freeman laying on a porch, and they began life saving measures that were ultimately unsuccessful.
Medical Examiner Dr. Christopher Kiefer examined Freeman’s body after his death, and says that based on the entry point of the bullet and where it exited, it seems incorrect to him that Freeman was facing away from the person who shot it.
Dr. Kiefer says it’s possible that he could have been shot in the chest depending on angles if he did run, but he finds it unlikely based on the examination he conducted, which included a possible graze wound down the length of Freeman’s arm.
Multiple witnesses took the stand Thursday, including Detective Terry Bigby, Crime Scene Detective Lageman, and Rajiana Tandy, who was reportedly the driver of the vehicle Leavell rode in that night. She heard the gun fire and saw Leavell holding a gun after the incident occurred, but says she never actually saw Leavell shoot the gun or heard any conversations that happened between the two.
Leavell is accused of shooting Freeman in the chest at an apartment on Greenville Road on June 6 of 2019 and is charged with murder, receiving stolen property and complicity to tampering with physical evidence.