Pubdate: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 Source: Ledger-Enquirer (GA) Copyright: 2004 Ledger-Enquirer Contact: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/enquirer/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/237 Author: Muriel Tan Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Kenneth+Walker GBI STILL SEEKS INTERVIEWS Case Could Be Handed To DA Even If Four Key Witnesses Aren't Interviewed More than a month after the fatal shooting of an unarmed Columbus man by a sheriff's deputy, state investigators say they still are lacking critical interviews by some of the main participants involved. "We've contacted them on several occasions, left messages, attempted to talk with them to set up interviews," said Chris Hosey, special agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. "I don't know the reason behind it. It may be scheduling conflicts with their attorneys. I'm really not sure." Hosey said the four key interviews left to be conducted include the Muscogee County sheriff's deputy who shot Kenneth B. Walker and the three friends who were with Walker on Dec. 10. Walker, a 39-year-old husband and father, was riding with his friends on Interstate 185 in a gray GMC Yukon when they were stopped by Metro Narcotics Task Force agents and sheriff's deputies. The Yukon matched one that was seen leaving an Armour Road apartment under surveillance for drug activity, according to official accounts. Muscogee County Sheriff Ralph Johnson has said that before the stop, agents had received information that the men inside the vehicle were from Miami and were armed. In the ensuing moments after the stop, Walker received two gunshot wounds to the head and was transported to the hospital, where he died. No drugs or weapons were recovered inside the Yukon, nor were any arrests made. The incident remains under investigation by the GBI and the FBI. In the event that GBI agents are unable to interview the four remaining witnesses, Hosey said the case file will be forwarded to District Attorney Gray Conger without them. Dwayne L. Smith, a Montgomery, Ala., attorney representing the three men inside the Yukon -- Warren Beaulah, Anthony Smith and Daryl Ransom -- has characterized the GBI's latest statements as "disingenuous." Without elaborating, Smith said he does not believe the agency is "in a position of conducting a fair and impartial investigation." Richard Hagler, the attorney for the sheriff's deputy, said it would be inappropriate to comment on the case, other than to say he had been in "regular and frequent communication with the GBI." If any of the four are made available after the case file is handed over to the DA's office, Hosey said, GBI agents could still interview them. "They obtained legal counsel after the incident to ensure their best interests were represented -- and I understand that -- but I hope these attorneys understand for us to do a thorough investigation, these interviews are critical," he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom