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The murder trial for Burnett, 20, formerly of Illinois, opened Tuesday in Howard County Circuit Court in Kokomo.
Police found Steven Harvey, of South Bend, Ind., in a pool of blood outside a car in Kokomo early May 9, 2006. The 20-year-old had been shot several times in the head and lower body, and died soon afterwards.
Burnett was extradited to Kokomo in August 2006 from La Crosse, where he had pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana with the intent to deal and was sentenced to time served.
In his opening arguments Tuesday, Howard County Deputy Prosecutor Jeremy Peelle claimed Burnett fatally shot Harvey as revenge for “snitching on him” for stealing 10 pounds of marijuana.
“Harvey is not the nicest man in the world,” Peelle told jurors.
“He sold drugs and used drugs, but he did not deserve to die.”
The defense team of Stephanie Doran and Katherine Noel, however, point to Harvey’s cousin, Leonard Harvey, as being behind the death.
Doran said she will show Steven Harvey stole $15,000 from his cousin in 2005, and
his cousin told others he would “blow his head off” as revenge.
“He put a hit out on Steven Harvey’s life,” Doran told jurors.
Leonard Harvey also smuggled large amounts of cocaine into Florida and had a number of guns, Doran said. Knowing he faced significant prison time when arrested, Leonard Harvey took his own life, Doran said.
The 25-year-old hanged himself in the La Crosse County Jail on April 6, 2006.
Several people testified Tuesday they saw Burnett and Steven Harvey together in Kokomo before the shooting.
Tessa Gibson, who was Burnett’s girlfriend in May 2006, said when he came to her home soon after Steven Harvey had been shot, she didn’t notice anything strange about him.
Witness Rachel Woodard told jurors she went to La Crosse in January with Steven Harvey and Burnett. They rented a motel room, she said, and at some time in the evening Harvey and Burnett left and came back with “a lot of marijuana.”
The three were arrested the next morning on possession of marijuana charges. When asked if she thought they were set up, she said, “yeah, basically. Something fishy was going on.”
She said Steven Harvey had told her it was his first time in La Crosse, but when they were arrested, one officer called him by name.
The trial is expected to conclude Friday.
