Kendu Petties murder trial: Witness admits he initially lied to police

CEDAR RAPIDS - A witness, who testified Thursday he was with Kendu Petties the night authorities say Petties fatally shot two people in a southeast Cedar Rapids home, admitted Friday that he initially lied to police about knowing anything about the incident.

Bruce Williams, 26, of Cedar Rapids, continuing his testimony from Thursday during Petties' murder trial, admitted during cross examination that he changed his story from not having knowledge of who shot and killed Quintrell Perkins, 22, and Sierrah Simmons, 20, on April 2, 2014, to naming Petties as the shooter.

Sara Smith, Petties' lawyer, grilled Williams about why he named Petties, repeatedly asking him if he did it to avoid being charged himself. She also asked if he knew there was a cellphone video of Petties admitting to or talking about the shooting.

Williams said he told the truth about Petties being the shooter. Regarding the video, he first said he knew about it, then said he didn't. After more questioning, he said he didn't know what was on the video.

Petties, 33, of Cedar Rapids, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit a forcible felony. He is accused of fatally shooting Perkins and Simmons while they were baby-sitting in the home of Perkins' father at 1708 Fourth Ave. SE.

In testimony Thursday, Williams said he and his girlfriend, Ashley Pennington, drove Petties and parked near Perkins' home at Petties' request, and then Petties got out of the car, walked up the alley and Williams heard multiple gunshots.

When Petties got back to the car, he told Williams he 'fired it up” and shot Ken Fonville and Joseph Perkins, two men Petties thought were inside the house, Williams testified.

Smith in her opening statement said Petties was never a suspect until another man, Devonte Barnes, who is to testify during the trial, named Petties as the shooter.

Smith also repeatedly asked Williams whether he knew that depending on what he told police and the county attorney during an interview in July 2015, he could be charged in this case. She asked if that was motivation to identify Petties as the shooter.

Williams said he 'told the truth.”

Williams testified Thursday that Petties initially asked him to shoot Fonville and Joseph Perkins, but he refused. Smith asked Williams why Petties would ask him to shoot those men and Williams said possibly because he also was made at them.

First Assistant Nick Maybanks asked Williams if he knew Petties was going to shoot two innocent people that night when they drove him to that area of town.

Williams said he did not.

Maybanks asked why Williams didn't initially tell police about Petties.

Williams testified he was fearful of retribution from Petties, and because Petties kept telling him not to say anything. He decided to tell because he wasn't 'going down” for Petties.

'Were you told that you wouldn't be charged unless you named Kendu Petties,” Maybanks said.

Williams said no.

Testimony in the trial continues this afternoon in Linn County District Court before 6th Judicial District Senior Judge Robert Sosalla and a jury of eight women and five men.

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