Reginald Carr had $996, victims' credit card, watch
Officers recount arrest BY HURST LAVIANA - The Wichita Eagle - Fri, Oct. 11, 2002
Reginald Carr made a dash for the balcony door when he heard a knock from police officers who were tracking down a suspect in the execution-style murders of four Wichitans, a Sedgwick County jury was told Thursday.
But when Carr was greeted outside by half a dozen other officers with guns drawn, he ducked back inside, only to be overwhelmed by officers who were storming the apartment.
A description of the arrest came during the fourth day of testimony in the capital murder trail of Carr and his brother, Jonathan Carr.
Both are charged with abducting five people from a home at 12727 E. Birchwood Drive, taking them to a field near 29th Street North and Greenwich Road, and shooting each in the back of the head. Only one of the victims survived.
The brothers also are charged in the death of Wichita Symphony cellist Ann Walenta, who was killed during an attempted robbery days before.
Witnesses on Thursday said that within hours of the Dec 15, 2000, shootings, all three Wichita TV
stations were broadcasting a description of a silver Dodge Dakota pickup taken from the victims' home.
Among the witnesses was Christian Taylor, who lived in an apartment complex at 5400 E. 21st Street. After spotting a truck in his parking lot matching the description , Taylor said he drove to a police substation and told an officer. Police were immediately sent to the complex.
Riwa Obel Nsangalufu, who also lived in the complex, said he told arriving officers that he helped a man he identified as Reginald Carr carry a large television set into Apartment 819.
Once the officers had identified the apartment, they secured the area and began the tactical operation that ended in Carr's arrest.
"It was very intense," Officer Jamie Crouch testified. "You'd be amazed what you sense -- what you pick up -- when something like this is going on."
Crouch was among a group of half a dozen officers assigned to guard the second-floor balcony. A team of five officers, led by Officer James Espinoza, approached the door. Espinoza testified that he knocked and announced that he was a police officer and needed someone to come to the door.
When there was no response, Espinoza said, he knocked and repeated the announcement. Detective James Hosty was standing beside him.
"At that time, a female voice from inside was asking who we were and what we wanted," Hosty testified.
Officer Renay Bryand was carrying a shotgun.
"There was a little turn of the doorknob -- like it was going to open," he said.
But it didn't.
From the outside, Crouch said he could hear the knocking and Espinoza's voice. Then he heard sounds coming from the balcony's sliding glass door.
"You could hear glass sliding," he said. "He (Carr) placed both hands on the railing and lifted his left leg up 8 to 12 inches."
Crouch said Carr retreated when he saw six officers with guns drawn.
"I remember yelling: 'Police officer! Don't move! Show me your hands!' " Crouch said.
By that point, the woman had opened the door and Espinoza was in the entrance. Espinoza said he saw Carr running toward a back room.
"I pointed my gun at him and told him to get on the ground," Espinoza said.
"And did he get on the ground?" Deputy District Attorney Kim Parker asked.
"Yes, he did," Espinoza replied.
Espinoza said that when he patted Carr down for weapons, he found a credit card with the name of Jason Befort, one of the victims in the shootings.
When he later collected more of Carr's property at City Hall, Espinoza said, he found a ladies wristwatch and $996 in cash -- including 49 $20 bills -- in one of Carrs' jeans pockets.
Espinoza said the watch belonged to Heather Muller, another victim.
Among the other witnesses testifying Thursday was Wichita crime scene investigator Barb Siwek, who told the jury that a dog found dead in the victims' home on East Birchwood Drive was apparently killed by a blow from a golf club. The dog belonged to the woman who survived the attack.
Siwek said there was no evidence that a gun had been fired in the home. She said she spent five days processing the crime scene and found no bullets or bullet holes.
"There were none," she said. "I was looking."
Reach Hurst Laviana at 268-6499 or hlaviana@wichitaeagle.com.
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