We also have the police reports and composites related to Shawna Ornt's observations. She was considered the only credible witness at the time of the crime. A bright parking lot light was located above her head and illuminated a suspect from the crime scene as he walked towards her. She described him as being in his early twenties, 6 foot tall, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and having short blonde hair. Shawna Ornt assisted in drawing a composite that night. Her co-worker, JERRY TRUMP, was not asked to assist as he could not provide a description of the man.

Later, in March 2003, Shawn Ornt was asked to assist Detective Nichols in drawing another, better composite. The Columbia Tribune quoted Sgt. Steve Monticelli saying Shawna was the sole witness. The same article tells about a video the Columbia Police Department made related to the crime scene. This video was sent to all Missouri Prisons in hopes that someone might know something about this crime. (Columbia Tribune article)

Shawna Ornt was called as a witness by Prosecutor Crane but he did not ask her if she recognized Ryan as the person she saw that night or the person who she described in the drawings of two separate composites. Prosecutor Crane did not ask Shawna Ornt if she recognized Ryan because he already knew her answer.

In her sworn testimony during Ryan's 2008 Hearing we discovered that Prosecutor Crane did speak with Ornt at least three times prior to the trial. He tried to get Ornt to agree that the person she saw that night was Ryan. But she refused. Ornt testified that Prosecutor Crane became loud, condescending and threatening in trying to get her to agree with him. Still, Shawna refused to be intimidated.

Shawna testified she had told Prosecutor Crane that the person who walked towards her that night, the person she assisted in drawing the composites of was not Ryan Ferguson.

Video of Shawna Ornt's testimony during Ryan's 2008 Hearing

It is telling that Prosecutor Crane did not ask Shawna Ornt who was the only witness asked to assist the police to draw a composite the night of the murder and again on March 2003.

Prosecutor Crane waited to ask Jerry Trump to identify Ryan as the person he saw in the parking lot even though the police in "police report 10" said he had no useful information.

We now have 5 people who have sign sworn affidavits stating that Jerry Trump had told each of them the he could not see the faces of the people in the parking lot.

The Prosecutor was unaware of these witnesses until we discovered them.

Fourth point ---after comparing the unknown fingerprints with Ryan and Chuck, none of the prints matched. To this day there are 5 sets of prints that have never been matched to anyone.

Fifth, there was no evidence found in Ryan's car connecting Ryan or Chuck to this crime.

Sixth, Charles stated in his affidavit, that he took the plea against Ryan because he thought Ryan was going to plea first. This is based on police reports he had read before his proffer in October 1, 2004.

The prosecutor misled Charles into thinking Ryan was going to plea and leave Charles with the longer prison sentence. Charles and his family panicked and went with the plea on October 1, 2004.

Police Report 332 - Charles Erickson's Proffer or Plea Agreement