Video: Holliman Appeal Under Advisement; Verdicts in Other Cases

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LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) — A judge wants more time to review a Caledonia man’s murder conviction.

Following a brief hearing Friday, Lowndes County Circuit Court Judge Lee Howard took Brian Holliman’s request for a new trial or acquittal under advisement.

The 32-year-old was convicted in August of the August 2008 murder of his wife, Laura Godfrey Holliman, at their Caledonia home.

He claimed she was shot accidentally when they struggled over a gun she intended to use to kill herself. Prosecutors alleged Holliman was abusive and shot her because she wanted a divorce.

After the trial was moved because of extensive publicity, an Oktibbeha County jury deliberated seven hours before delivering the verdict.

Holliman claims the evidence didn’t support the verdict and that Howard made technical errors in allowing some testimony and jury instructions.

He had been found guilty previously but won a new trial when the state supreme court overturned the verdict on a technicality.

Grady

In an unrelated case, a Columbus man claimed more than 10 kilos of marijuana belonged to someone else. A Lowndes County jury didn’t buy it.

The seven-man, five-woman jury deliberated about an hour today before finding 35-year-old Christopher Grady guilty of marijuana possession charges.

He was arrested last October after Lowndes County deputies found the marijuana stuffed in a suit case in the car he was driving. He claimed the marijuana belonged to his brother and that he didn’t know what was in the suit case when his brother asked for a ride.

Because he has a prior cocaine-related conviction, he faces up to 60 years in prison when he’s sentenced later this month. He also has a statutory rape charge pending.

Thompson

And finally, an Aberdeen man is cleared of crystal meth conspiracy charges.

A Lowndes County circuit court jury deliberated less than two hours Thursday night before finding 35-year-old Christopher Thompson not guilty of conspiracy to possess crystal meth precursors.

He was arrested April four years ago with ephedrine in his car. A search later discovered other precursors in a shed behind his home in Aberdeen.

But prosecutors were not able to link the two cases to prove a conspiracy.

Thompson could have faced lengthy prison time because of two prior convictions in the last 20 years for theft and crystal meth