Judge: Will not combine harassment case with murder charge

IOWA CITY — A judge ruled against combining an Indiana man’s harassment case with his first-degree murder case, following prosecutors’ arguments the harassment charge may show a motive for fatally shooting Tommy Curry, who was allegedly lured to his death by a “date” on April 28.

Renard Winfield Jr., 29, of Gary, Ind., who faces the harassment and murder charges, was shot in the leg in June of last year on H Street, outside the Iowa City home of Briarri Bryant, his ex-girlfriend, during an altercation with Curry, 31, another former boyfriend of Bryant’s. Nobody was arrested or charged in the incident.

Last August, Bryant told police Winfield repeatedly contacted her in an attempt to get information about the whereabouts and identity of the person who shot him, according to court documents. Winfield threatened to shoot or kill Bryant if she didn’t tell him.

A warrant was issued for Winfield for a first-degree harassment charge, which was served on him in Indiana in May of this year during the course of the fatal shooting death of Curry, according to court documents.

Prosecutors told a judge last week they intend to introduce evidence at Winfield’s murder trial, which has been reset to Aug. 24, regarding Winfield “catfishing” — posing online as a woman — and communicating with Curry since January, leading up to Curry’s killing.

Winfield contacting, threatening and continuing to harass Bryant through the fatal shooting of Curry in April “is evidence of his ongoing motive, preparation and plan to identify, locate and retaliate against Curry for his involvement with Bryant,” Assistant Johnson County Attorneys Oubonah White and Jude Pannell said in their motion to consolidate the cases.

The prosecutors argued two or more offenses that arise out of a “common scheme or plan” can be prosecuted together.

The defense countered that the separate cases don’t arise from a common scheme or plan, according to court documents.

There are separate witnesses and/or victims and time frames for the charges that create a difference in the charges, and each charge could be proved without reference to the other, said Anne Wilson, one of Winfield’s lawyers.

The defense also argued consolidating the cases would be “extremely prejudicial” and outweighs any interest the prosecution may have in combining the charges for one trial. The amount of time between the two crimes, the different locations of the two alleged crimes, the different motives, the separate alleged victims, and the different nature of the two crimes demonstrate they are not part of a common plan or scheme.

There also is evidence in the murder case that wouldn’t be allowed in the harassment case.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Jason Besler ruled in favor of the defense and will not combine the two cases. Each will be tried separately.

The alleged crimes are “far too dissimilar” to be considered part of a common scheme or plan, Besler ruled. The alleged crimes took place several months apart, in different locations and had different alleged victims.

The judge also said trying the charges together would be too difficult for a jury to keep these crimes separate, so that they would not be able to individually assess each charge.

Criminal complaint

A criminal complaint stated officers responded about 8 p.m. to multiple 911 calls at the Meadow Lark Apartment Complex, 2400 Lakeside Dr., on April 28. Curry was found inside his vehicle, and police said he had been shot numerous times.

Curry later died of his injuries.

Witnesses told police they saw a man approach Curry’s vehicle and start shooting. A white SUV was seen leaving the scene, police said.

Investigators reviewed Curry’s cellphone and found he had been exchanging text messages with someone since Jan. 23, 2021. The text messages showed Curry was going to meet the person — whom he believed was a woman and communicated with on a dating website. Curry planned to meet that person at the Meadow Lake Apartments on April 28.

Investigators used the phone number and associated dating website to lead them to Winfield, whom they say was posing as a woman.

Police also said surveillance footage shows a white Dodge Journey driving away from the crime scene. That vehicle is registered to a relative of Winfield’s, police said.

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