SUMTER, SC (WIS) - The trial for the man accused of killing a coworker, tying him to a concrete block and throwing him in a pond is underway in Sumter County.
A concrete block and wire hanger are two chilling details of the crime.
Investigators say someone shot 39-year-old Ernest James three times, tied the block to him with the wire and threw him in a Sumter county pond in 2005.
Bobby Hughes is James' brother.
"She called me and told me they were pulling my brother out of the pond," said Hughes. "It hurt my feelings. My brother, I felt the same way people do about their brothers."
James worked as a painter with Nathaniel Bradley, who is now on trial for his murder.
Wayne Johnson worked with them. He testified Bradley got mad a James a few weeks before the murder.
"He said, 'you will leave. I'm gonna send some boys, you're gonna leave here,'" Johnson said in court.
Fishermen discovered James' body in five feet of water. Officers found the Volvo James was driving burned in a Lee County cemetery.
Testifying was tough for Johnson. He's also married to the defendant's daughter.
"My father in law, he never said he was going to kill Ernest," he said. "He wasn't upset enough to do bodily harm."
Even the victims brother said he's not sure if Bradley is the killer.
"Technically, I really don't know if he ain't the right one, though, he knows something about it," said Hughes.
There was a lot of talk in court Wednesday about another man the defendants was hanging around with the day of the murder, who friends and family didn't know much about.
Testimony continues Thursday, and the trial is expected to last through the rest of the week.
Reported by Jennifer Wilson
Posted by Logan Smith
