Darryl Roberts enters courtroom
The defense in the case involving the downtown murder of local businessman Chris Wright late Wednesday asked for a new jury panel after “the wrong sheet” was read to the just-chosen jurors.
Judge Boyd Patterson interrupted the reading by the court bailiff during the swearing in of the panel after noticing it was not the correct version.
Mike Little of the Public Defender’s Office said he heard the words “convicted felon” prior to the judge shutting off the reading.
“We are requesting a new jury panel,” he said.
It was noted that the reading of the swearing in included reference to a gun charge, though the state eventually opted just to go with a first-degree murder charge against Darryl Roberts and had dropped the gun count.
The state sought to have the trial go ahead with the selected jurors. The jurors had just been chosen after an arduous process that began early Tuesday afternoon.
Judge Patterson sent jurors for lunch while planning to reconvene afterward and decide whether to continue.
A Vanderbilt University licensed clinical psychologist testified Tuesday that she concluded that Roberts suffers from Post Traumatic Syndrome Disorder (PTSDF).
Dr. Kimberly Brown took the witness stand at a hearing prior to jury selection. Judge Patterson excluded the testimony, saying it was not helpful to the jury in connection with the defense’s “state of passion” theory of the case. He said Dr. Brown could testify as a lay witness, but not as an expert.
Questioning at the hearing by Public Defender Steve Smith indicated the defense was focusing on a voluntary manslaughter case rather than the life sentence that would be imposed with a first-degree murder conviction.
Dr. Brown said she studied legal filings in the case as well as interviewing Roberts by video last Oct. 2 for two and a half hours.
She said she concluded that his mental health issues did not rise to the status of not being competent to stand trial.
The witness said Roberts had been receiving mental health treatment for as far back as 2014 and had been placed in the local Mental Health Court. She said the PTSD was related to an incident in 2013.
Dr. Brown said those with PTSD tend to get angry quickly and be hyper vigilant and easily startled.
Police said Roberts fatally shot the victim on Sept. 28, 2023, following an argument in the 1000 block of Market Street in front of the Patten Towers (former Patten Hotel).
At 11:51 p.m., officers responded to a shots fired call that was upgraded to a person shot. When officers arrived, they found the 38-year-old victim with a life-threatening gunshot wound.
Chattanooga Fire and Hamilton County EMS responded to the scene. The victim died from his injuries.
Police reviewed video of the incident and said Roberts was in a red shirt and dark-colored pants talking to another man near a stairwell at Patten Towers. They said the video showed Chris Wright walk past the two men, then turn back to talk to them. He then walked away from them about 30 feet south, then again turned toward them but did not approach them.
Roberts then walked toward Chris Wright, produced a gun, and shot him in the head at close range. The victim fell to the ground.
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