LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Anjuan Carter, a co-defendant of Brice Rhodes, testified Wednesday that Rhodes masterminded the shooting death of Christopher Jones in 2016 because he mistakenly believed Jones had a bounty out for his death.

Carter, who was 15 at the time, said Rhodes was supposed to pay him and others involved, including teenage brothers Larry Ordway and Maurice Gordon, for their role in the murder.

But Jones was not the right target, and Carter doesn't believe anyone was paid, he said on day two of Rhodes' triple murder trial.

Carter, perhaps the prosecution's main witness, also testified that a few weeks after the murder, Gordon got into an argument with another person at Rhodes' house and Rhodes hit Gordon in the chest. 

At that point, Carter said, Rhodes and another man put the brothers in the bathroom and took a vote on "whether they should die or not." Carter said he was the only one to vote no.

Prosecutors said earlier this week that Rhodes believed the brothers had told their family about the Jones murder.

A sock was put in Gordon's mouth, his hands were tied behind his back and his head was covered, Carter testified. He was then beaten and stabbed to death.

Ordway, who was in the bathroom while his brother was killed, was then brought out, Carter said. He was killed the same way, with Rhodes, Carter and another man stabbing him.

"If I hadn't gone along with it, I'd have been with (the brothers)," said Carter, who pleaded guilty to amended charges in the case on the condition he testify against Rhodes. He has not yet been sentenced as an adult.

The brothers were placed in containers, and their bodies were dumped in the backyard of an abandoned house in the 400 block of River Park Drive, east of Shawnee Park. Their bodies were burned. Carter testified he stayed behind and cleaned up after the murders.

Carter testified that he took Gordon's shoes and phone and received a call from the mother of the brothers and told her they were not available. He was arrested a short time later.

The vehicle the brothers were put in had blood in the backseat, Carter testified, so the backseat was taken out and hidden.

Defense attorneys have accused police of losing the backseat or not properly turning over evidence from it. 

In their opening arguments, a defense attorney for Rhodes said Carter is the actual killer but police instead pinned it on Rhodes because of Carter's age.

On cross-examination Wednesday, the defense accused Carter of telling several lies to police, which he acknowledged. For example, Carter initially said he did not know Rhodes, didn't know anything about the death of the brothers and was not involved. Carter also told police he purposefully ran over Jones after he was shot.

Currently, Carter is in a Florida prison on burglary charges.

Asked by prosecutors if he told police the truth, Carter replied, "sometimes."

When pressed further by Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Critt Cunningham, Carter said he eventually told police exactly what he testified Wednesday.

The trial, which has been pending since 2016, is expected to last at least two or three weeks. Rhodes is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Rhodes, 32, is charged with three counts of murder, tampering with physical evidence, abuse of a corpse and receiving stolen property.

Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Julie Kaelin found that while Rhodes is competent to stand trial, he is ineligible for the death penalty, ruling he has a documented history of serious mental illness or intellectual disability.

Rhodes has a history of outbursts in court, threatening at least one judge, accusing a prosecutor and another judge of having an affair, lashing out at several of his attorneys and calling several court officials racist.

He was told by Kaelin on Friday that he will be removed from court or shocked by an ankle monitor if he is disruptive during his trial starting next week.

Rhodes, who is wearing a suit and is not shackled, has so far been quiet, showing little emotion in court.

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