Judge: Jury To Get Hicks Park Murder Case Monday

Inmate Steven Sanders told the Tulsa County District Attorney that Darren Price admitted he shot Carissa Horton in the head.<br />

Friday, February 7th 2014, 6:26 pm

By: News On 6


Prosecutors wrapped up their case against murder suspect Darren Price late Friday afternoon.

Just before resting his case, Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris showed the jury a videotape of detectives interrogating Price.

In the video Price is seen giving different accounts of the night back in September 2011 when Carissa Horton and Ethan Nichols were robbed and murdered in Hicks Park.

Price gave varying accounts of how he and another man, whom he referred to by different names, found Horton and Nichols in the park. He maintained during the whole interrogation that the other man killed the two victims and that he had wanted no part of it and didn't know it was going to happen.

He repeatedly told detectives he ran away after the other man shot both victims, but the other man caught up to him and gave him the murder weapon, which he later gave back. 

On the video Price could not explain why he was in Nichols' car the day after the murders or why he had Nichols' phone on him. 

At the end of the interrogation, after detectives had left the room, Price is seen shaking his head and saying, "I'm booked on two murders I didn't commit. Holy f-----g s--t."

Also on Friday, admitted career criminal Steven Sanders told the jury he and Darren Price had been in the same pod at the Tulsa County jail.

He said Price told him Price and Jerard Davis robbed Carissa and Ethan in Hicks Park.

Sanders said Price told him Davis shot and killed Ethan, then handed the gun to Price and told him to handle it.

Sanders said Price admitted he took the gun and shot Carissa in the head.

The murder weapon was later found in Davis' apartment. He already has pleaded guilty to the crimes and is serving life in prison without parole.

2/5/2014 Related Story: Father, Sister Of Murdered Tulsa Man Speak At Trial

Price's attorneys maintain Davis fired both shots.

They say Sanders, who's been convicted of several felonies in several counties, isn't credible and only gives information to police when he wants to help reduce his own charges.

They say he was looking at a possible 70-plus years in prison on his current burglary cases, but the DA agreed to sentence Sanders to 20 years in exchange for his testimony.

The lead investigator on this case testified he could tell from the murder scene the victims didn't fight back or resist and were on their knees and helpless when they were shot in the head at close range.

They say it appeared Ethan even had his hands behind his back when he was shot.

The medical examiner described how the bullets killed them instantly.

The defense rested Friday evening after calling a single witness, a prison inmate who says he was convicted of 2nd degree murder as Jerry Morgan even though his real name is Jerry Crawford.

While being questioned by the defense, he testified Steve Sanders testified against him in his murder case.  

The judge told the jury closing arguments will happen Monday afternoon and it will get the case after that. He told the jury to be prepared for deliberations to last into Monday evening.

If the jury finds Price guilty, the jury must decide if Price gets the death penalty.

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