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Witness says she heard murder defendant make threat

Tempers flared this afternoon in a courthouse hallway between members of Amber Robinson’s family and supporters of the two young men accused of stabbing her to death.

Staff photo by Nick Daggy Tempers flared this afternoon in a courthouse hallway between members of Amber Robinson’s family and supporters of the two young men accused of stabbing her to death.

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Photos: West Chester fatal stabbing

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Rashon Martin, left, 18, and Khrendon Gray, 19, appeared with their attorneys David Washington, left, and David Albrecht for opening statements in front of Butler County Common Pleas Judge Keith Spaeth on March 8, 2010, at the Government Services Center in Hamilton.

Nick Daggy/Staff photographer Rashon Martin, left, 18, and Khrendon Gray, 19, appeared with their attorneys David Washington, left, and David Albrecht for opening statements in front of Butler County Common Pleas Judge Keith Spaeth on March 8, 2010, at the Government Services Center in Hamilton.

By Lauren Pack, Staff Writer Updated 7:19 AM Wednesday, March 10, 2010

HAMILTON — During the trial of the two young men accused in the stabbing death of Lakota West High School sophomore Amber Robinson, a witness testified that she heard defendant Khrendon Gray, then 18, threaten to kill the 15-year-old girl.

In court testimony Tuesday, March 9, Iraysa Linares said that she lived at North Pointe Townhomes when Robinson was fatally stabbed on Sept. 10, 2009, during a large fight at the apartment complex.

Two fights broke out that day, the first between Amber and another girl about something that happened on the bus, Linares said.

Linares said she saw Gray and Rashon Martin, who she only knew as “French Fry,” among those in the crowd.

Gray, now 19, is charged with murder in Robinson’s death during the large fight that evening.

Martin, now 18, had been charged with complicity to murder, but the single charge against him was dismissed Tuesday by Butler County Common Pleas Judge Keith Spaeth who cited a lack of evidence tying Martin to the crime.

Linares testified Tuesday that after the first fight Sept. 10 she heard Gray say, “I am going to kill you (expletive).”

Raheem Davis, 17, testified that he was part of the crowd that night, and he saw who stabbed Robinson.

Davis said he saw a heavy-set black male wearing a blue shirt and blue baseball cap stab the girl. West Chester Twp. Police reported that they took a blue polo shirt and blue cap from Gray’s home while executing a search warrant after the slaying.

Assistant Prosecutor Brad Burress asked Davis if he saw who stabbed Robinson.

“Yes, Khrendon Gray,” he said.

Davis also testified that he saw Martin getting “pummeled” in the fight. He said he did not see Martin with a knife or see him hand Gray a knife, as authorities had suggested in charging Martin.

During cross-examination, Davis admitted that he did not identify Gray, who is from Springfield Twp., as the attacker when presented with a photo lineup after the incident.

Lamont Williams testified that he also was part of the crowd when the large fight broke out, and he saw a person who looked like Gray stab Robinson.

Williams showed the jury what he saw, noting the attacker came up behind Robinson and stabbed her with his left hand in a sideways motion.

A West Chester detective later testified that he had observed Gray taking notes during the trial with his left hand.

Ascia Wilson, Gray’s ex-girlfriend, told the jury that she received a phone call from Gray shortly after Robinson was stabbed and he told her: “She (Amber) ate those words.”

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