25 September 2020
ST. LOUIS– A federal judge on Friday {ordered|purchased|bought} {a defendant|an accused|an offender} in the murder-for-hire case {involving|including} {a former|a previous} star on the “{Welcome|Invite} to {Sweetie|Sweetheart|Darling} Pie’s” {reality|truth} {television|tv} {show|program} {held in|kept in} {jail|prison} {until|up until|till} trial.
Terica Taneisha Ellis {is one of|is among} {two|2} {defendants|accuseds|offenders} charged in the 2016 murder of Andre Montgomery Jr., {grandson|grand son} of Robbie Montgomery, owner of the {Sweetie|Sweetheart|Darling} Pie’s {restaurants|dining establishments} in the St. Louis {area|location}.
{Defense lawyer|Defense attorney} Brocca Morrison {said|stated} Ellis was not {a danger|a risk|a threat} and {needed|required} to be {home|house} to {care for|take care of|look after} her 2-year-old {daughter|child}, who has {a severe|a serious|an extreme} {type of|kind of} sickle cell anemia and {needs|requires} {constant|continuous|consistent} {monitoring|tracking}. Ellis {has|has actually} pleaded {not guilty|innocent}.
{A prior|A previous} Ellis {lawyer|attorney|legal representative} {had|had actually} argued that she wasn’t {accused|implicated} of {knowing about|learning about|understanding about} the murder {in advance|ahead of time|beforehand}. Robbie Montgomery’s {son|child|kid|boy}, James Timothy “Tim” Norman, {told|informed} Ellis he {needed|required} her {help|assistance|aid} to {{find|discover} and {confront|face|challenge}|{confront|face|challenge} and {find|discover}} Andre Montgomery about $200,000 in {cash|money} that {had|had actually} been {stolen|taken} from Robbie Montgomery’s {house|home}, according to earlier {testimony|statement|testament} by a St. Louis {police|authorities|cops} {detective|investigator}.
Assistant U.S. {Attorney|Lawyer} Angie Danis {said|stated} Friday that Ellis {failed|stopped working} to report the {crime|criminal offense|criminal activity} for more than {four|4} years, and was both {a danger|a risk|a threat} to {the {community|neighborhood} and a flight|a flight and the {community|neighborhood}} {risk|danger|threat}. Court {documents|files} {say|state} Ellis {twice|two times} reported Andre Montgomery’s {location|place|area} on the day he was {killed|eliminated}: the {first time|very first time} to Norman and the {second|2nd} time she called {an unidentified|an unknown} {man|guy|male} {using|utilizing} {a prepaid|a pre-paid} {cell phone|mobile phone|cellular phone}.
Ellis heard gunshots as she {pulled away|retreated} from the scene of the murder and {dumped|disposed|discarded} her {prepaid|pre-paid} phone at {a gas station|a gasoline station|a filling station} as she drove {home|house} to the Memphis {suburbs|suburban areas|residential areas}, according to court {testimony|statement|testament}.
{If {convicted|founded guilty}, both Ellis and Norman {could|might} {face|deal with} a minimum sentence of life without parole.|Both Ellis and Norman {could|might} {face|deal with} a minimum sentence of life without parole if {convicted|founded guilty}.} The charge {also|likewise} {triggers|sets off|activates} {a review|an evaluation} by {officials|authorities} in Washington {as to|regarding} whether {prosecutors|district attorneys} {should|ought to|must|need to} {seek|look for} the {death penalty|capital punishment|death sentence}, although approval is {rare|unusual|uncommon}.
Norman {has|has actually} been {arrested|apprehended|detained|jailed} {but|however} {has|has actually} not yet appeared in court.
The Montgomerys and Norman were regulars on the {reality|truth} {show|reveal} about Robbie Montgomery’s restaurants.Source: khq.com