Pubdate: Sat, 14 Nov 1998 Source: Dallas Morning News (TX) Contact: http://www.dallasnews.com/ Copyright: 1998 The Dallas Morning News Author: Holly Becka / The Dallas Morning News OFFICER TESTIFIES SUSPECT OFFERED TRUTH FOR DRUGS Defense lawyer questions story in slaying case Kimberly McCarthy told a police officer that she would tell the truth about an elderly neighbor's slaying if she received the death penalty and only in exchange for a rock of crack cocaine, the officer testified Friday. Ms. McCarthy, who is being tried in a capital murder case, gave police a written statement saying that two drug dealers robbed Dr. Dorothy Booth, 71, while Ms. McCarthy waited outside. But Ms. McCarthy then said that parts of her statement were false, an officer testified Friday. Dallas Police Detective Dwayne Bishop said Ms. McCarthy told him she didn't want the death penalty if convicted in the killing but, if she received it, she would tell the truth if given the cocaine, he said. Defense attorney Doug Parks questioned that testimony. "She may or may not have even said that," Mr. Parks said after the testimony. "He [the detective] recorded everything else, but not that. No notes, no recording, none of that. Officer Bishop is the only one with knowledge of whether or not that really happened." Prosecutors would not comment on the testimony but appeared pleased after the detective finished. The detective discussed Ms. McCarthy's jailhouse comments to him near the end of his testimony, which completed the state's case. Ms. McCarthy is the only suspect in the July 1997 stabbing death of Dr. Booth, a retired college professor. She could face a death sentence or life in prison if convicted. Ms. McCarthy, 36, is also charged with capital murder and murder in the December 1988 deaths of Jettie Lucas, 85, and Maggie Harding, 79, both of Dallas. Ms. McCarthy declined to take the stand Friday, and her attorneys called only one witness on her behalf. Closing arguments are set for Monday. Assistant District Attorney George West questioned Detective Bishop about inconsistencies between Ms. McCarthy's statement and evidence in the case. He also elicited testimony from the officer that according to Ms. McCarthy's written account, she had plenty of time to call police while the drug dealers robbed Dr. Booth. Ms. McCarthy said in her statement that the drug dealers threatened her. She also could have called police immediately afterward, Mr. West said. In her statement, Ms. McCarthy said that after the men gave her stolen property, they instructed her to drive Dr. Booth's car to another street and wait for them. After waiting three to five minutes, she said, she drove off with everything and went to a drug house. Mr. West had the investigator count off three and then five minutes as jurors watched the clock. The officer also testified that Ms. McCarthy couldn't give authorities any details to prove the men even existed. She's the only person who ever sold or was found with Dr. Booth's stolen belongings, the officer said. Defense attorney Brad Lollar said later that it's common that a drug user wouldn't know details, such as the last names, of drug dealers. Ms. McCarthy said in her statement that she'd met the dealers, whom she identified only as "Kilo" and "J.C.," a month before. Max Courtney, a crime scene expert called by the defense, testified that repeating marks and parallel lines seen in police photographs of sugar and blood on Dr. Booth's floor may be consistent with footprints. Prosecutors say Ms. McCarthy gained entrance to Dr. Booth's Lancaster house under the pretense of borrowing sugar and immediately began stabbing the woman before robbing her. Dr. Booth's left finger was severed and her wedding ring stolen. Mr. Courtney said it appears from the pictures that two types of shoe-prints are shown. He said that the parallel markings could be consistent with one pair of Ms. McCarthy's tennis shoes in evidence but that another pair of her shoes were inconsistent with all the markings. He said he couldn't exclude the possibility that two people other than Ms. McCarthy might have killed Dr. Booth. He also said that marks on a butcher block, where prosecutors allege Dr. Booth's finger was severed, were inconsistent with the butcher knife stained with Dr. Booth's blood that police found hidden in Ms. McCarthy's house. Mr. Courtney conceded on cross-examination by Assistant District Attorney Greg Davis, the lead prosecutor, that the bloody butcher block marks might have been placed there when Dr. Booth's ring finger was severed. He also conceded to Mr. Davis that if two people had taken part in the attack, it would have been more likely that investigators would have found hair and other trace evidence from them inside Dr. Booth's house. - --- Checked-by: Rich O'Grady