Former cellmate of suspect in Chester councilman’s death takes stand

Christopher Moore was told by a co-defendant to get out of the truck being pursued by Odell Williams and to shoot the Chester city councilman, according to Moore’s former cellmate, who took the stand in his trial Wednesday.

Moore, 20, is on trial for the November 2014 killing of Williams, who was shot in the head while chasing a pickup carrying Moore and his four co-defendants. Prosecutors have said Moore was lying in wait at the entrance to Roundtree Circle to shoot Williams as he turned onto the street, but Moore and his defense team said he shot Williams in self-defense.

A jury deadlocked during Moore’s first trial in April, forcing a mistrial.

Taking the stand Wednesday was Moore’s former cellmate, Stevie Breland, who is charged in a fatal February hit-and-run on Interstate 77.

Breland, 58, told jurors Wednesday he was moved into a new cell after returning from his bond hearing in April, and Moore was one of his cellmates. Moore shared information about his case with Breland and showed him evidence items.

Breland said he questioned parts of Moore’s story, including Moore’s statement that he was shooting the rifle over his shoulder as he ran.

“I said, ‘Chris ... it seems like, according to what’s on paper, that you turned and fired,” Breland said. “It didn’t seem like it was running and shooting.”

Breland said he also questioned Moore’s statement that he fell out of the truck at Roundtree Circle when his co-defendant, Quinton McClinton, slowed down, and he asked Moore why his co-defendants left him behind.

“I said, ‘Well, why did you get out of the truck? Why did they leave you?’” Breland recalled from his conversation with Moore. “He said, ‘Quinton told me to get out and shoot the councilman.’”

Breland said he pressed Moore on whether he fell out of the truck or exited on his own volition.

“He stated that he got out to get the gun,” Breland said. “When I asked him, I said, ‘Did you fall out or did you get out?’ He stated, ‘I got out of the truck.’”

It was a statement made later by Moore, Breland said, that prompted him and two other inmates to file an inmate request to get Moore out of their cell.

“He said that he was gonna go ahead and beat up an inmate so that he can get back over to cell block C, because (cell block) A is where Mr. McClinton stay at,” Breland said, adding that this would enable Moore and McClinton to talk with each other through the jail’s ventilation system.

Breland and the other inmates submitted an inmate request “because there was a chance that (Moore) would jump on one of us,” he said.

Moore later attacked another inmate, Breland said, prompting him to pass a note to an officer saying he had information about Moore’s case. Breland was then interviewed by a Chester County detective and an investigator from the State Law Enforcement Division.

In court, Breland said he signed his statement on April 1, but Deputy Public Defender William Frick noted the date on Breland’s statement was May 25, nearly a month after Moore’s first trial ended.

Breland said inmates can watch TV but that he didn’t see any TV news coverage of Moore’s case until after he gave the note to the officer. He said Wednesday the state did not promise him anything to testify.

A military veteran with 16 years of service, Breland said he’s fired a rifle similar to the one used by Moore, and he voiced doubt in Moore’s statements about firing the rifle over his shoulder.

“I missed the part, Mr. Breland, where you became qualified as an expert in ballistics,” Frick said during a contentious cross-examination.

“Mr. Breland was not qualified as an expert,” Deputy Solicitor Julie Hall said during an objection. “He was just testifying based on his knowledge and his experience as a member of the military.”

At his April bond hearing, prosecutors said Breland carried out an extensive cover-up after fleeing the fatal wreck on I-77. Attorneys on Wednesday did not get into the facts of his case.

Breland said he and Moore initially got along well.

“When I came back from my bond hearing ... I was kind of down on myself,” he said. “Chris gave me some good inspiration. We talked about God and everything.”

This story was originally published June 29, 2016 at 9:16 PM with the headline "Former cellmate of suspect in Chester councilman’s death takes stand."