LOUISVILLE, KY. (WDRB) -- The trial of one of two men accused of killing a key witness in a murder case has been declared a mistrial, according to prosecutors.
The mistrial came about because of tapes of the father of one of the witnesses that the defense says it did not receive until Wednesday.
Prosecutor Tom Van De Rostyne said Friday, "We thought they had no relevance whatsoever because if you listen to them people are talking about what they've heard about other people talking, what they think."
The defense says it didn't have that piece of evidence until this week and needs more time to review it.
The prosecution maintains that Steven Pettway gunned down Troya Sheckles in broad daylight in Shelby Park in March 2009 because she was set to be a key witness in the murder trial of Lloyd Hammond, who was a friend of Pettway.
The defense says Pettway was a scapegoat because he was the new kid on the block from North Carolina. Attorney Leslie Smith said in court Tuesday, "It was easy to blame a 16-year-old kid for this crime."
The judge in the case was taking precautions and not allowing the media to photograph the faces or reveal the names of witnesses.
Pettway was originally set to be tried at the same time as Dejuan Hammond, Lloyd Hammond's brother, but the two proceedings were split up.
A witness told police Pittway admitted he was the shooter, saying Dejuan Hammond promised to take care of him for life if he did it.
When Pettway's trial is over, a date will be selected for Dejuan Hammond's case.
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