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Brother Defends Sibling At Trial

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By TODD LESKANIC

tleskanic@tampatrib.com

Published: March 13, 2009

DADE CITY - A videotape shown in court Thursday appeared to have captured Andre Pierre-Charles implicating his older brother, Luc, in the 2006 killing of two Wesley Chapel High School students.

But jurors deciding the first-degree murder case of Luc Pierre-Charles Jr. will never see it. Instead, the jury must judge the words of Andre Pierre-Charles, who testified Thursday in his brother's trial.

Luc Pierre-Charles Jr., 21, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of Derek Pieper and Raymond Veluz. Pieper, 17, and Veluz, 18, were shot dead on Harris Hill Road in Trilby on July 28, 2006. Luc Pierre-Charles faces a possible death sentence if found guilty.

Tyree Jenkins, 23, also is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the slayings. His trial is set for June 1.

On the disputed videotape, Andre Pierre-Charles, 19, can be seen speaking to his parents in an interview room at the Pasco County Sheriff's Office. He repeatedly denies being involved in the shootings when asked by his parents. But when his father asks, "Who did it? Luc?" Andre appears to lift his head and nod in the affirmative.

Later on the tape, with his mother out of the room, his father questions him in a whisper. Andre again appears to nod affirmatively when his father asks "Was it Luc?" When asked "Why?" Andre responds, "Stupid."

With the jury present, Andre acknowledged nodding his head on both occasions but denied that he was telling his parents that his brother was somehow involved. The jury heard no explanation for the nods.

With the jury out of the courtroom, Andre Pierre-Charles testified, "I was making hand and head gestures the whole time I was in there." He also said his answer of "Stupid" was a response only to his father's repeated attempts to ask questions.

The legal grappling over the testimony and videotape took part of the morning and nearly the entire afternoon. Early in the day, jurors listened as Pieper's girlfriend, Trishia Rush, and Veluz's mother, Maria Dejon, testified about their final encounters with the boys.

Rush said she met Pieper about 10:30 p.m. the day before the killings while he was working at a pizza place on State Road 54. She said they talked in the parking lot before Pieper was called inside. Rush testified she waited for about 10 minutes but decided to leave when Pieper didn't return. That was the last time she saw him alive.

Dejon testified that her son was home until about 10:30 p.m. that night. She said he received a phone call and then left in his Mitsubishi Galant, telling her, "I'll be back."

A third witness, Troy Davis, testified that Pieper and Veluz were at his house later that night. Davis said Pieper wanted to "score some weed" so he made a phone call to Luc Pierre-Charles. The boys left Davis' house about 1:30 a.m.

Roughly four hours later, residents who live near Trilby and Harris Hill roads heard a series of gunshots. As the sun rose, a passer-by discovered the bodies of Pieper and Veluz, facedown and side by side.

Both had been shot in the back multiple times. Veluz's black Galant was later found on River Road. It had been set on fire.

Reporter Todd Leskanic can be reached at (727) 815-1084.

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