By Tai Saint Louis
Defense attorneys for Hosea Thomas presented a surprise witness yesterday (Nov 25) who countered the entire case presented by the prosecution.
A woman claiming to be Thomas' former girlfriend offered him an alibi for the night he is accused of shooting at two vans carrying T.I. And his entourage.
Twenty-five year-old Kim Sweeten, who now resides in Atlanta, stated in court that she returned to Cincinnati as soon she found out about the trial.
Sweeten says that on the night of the shoot out that left T.I's friend Philant Johnson dead and three others injured, she and Thomas left Club Ritz together and headed straight home.
Her testimony comes in direct contradiction to the theory presented by the prosecution's star witness, Thomas' older brother Padron, who testified that he drove the Jeep Cherokee which followed the Atlanta rapper and his entourage unto I-75 on the fateful May 2006 night.
However, prosecutors noted that Thomas never offered up this alibi when he was arrested and charged with murder.
As part of a plea agreement, Padron Thomas identified his younger brother as the one who fired several shots into the two vans in which the Grand Hustle camp were traveling.
During his testimony on Friday (November 21), T.I. told the court that he believed those shots were meant for him.
Another 17-year-old witness in the backseat of the Jeep claimed Hosea Thomas was the triggerman, but he was not present to testify, because he feared for his life and had left Cincinnati.
Thomas’ lawyer Charles Isaly claimed there was not enough physical evidence to convict his client and he doubted prosecutors’ main witness, Hosea’s brother Padron.