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CNN Saturday Morning News

Bobby Frank Cherry's Trial Continues

Aired May 18, 2002 - 09:09   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Trial continues today for Bobby Frank Cherry, the former Klansman charged in the '63 church bombing that killed four black girls. The prosecution has rested, and in less than an hour, the defense begins presenting its case.

CNN's Brian Cabell is live in Birmingham, Alabama, with more on that. Good morning, Brian.

BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.

One of the first witnesses we're expecting to hear from this morning is a former FBI informant, someone who helped the FBI back in the early '60s but now reportedly will say that back then, she was lying.

As for Bobby Frank Cherry himself, he's not expected to testify, according to his attorney. He was originally ruled incompetent to stand trial. Now his attorney says he's simply not feeling very well. He is not terribly communicative, although throughout the years he has said repeatedly publicly that he was not involved in the church bombing.

Privately, though, he has been telling another story, according to his granddaughter. She said back in 1985, more or less, he boasted of being involved in the bombing, and his ex-wife back in 1970, said she recalled a specific time when his car broke down right near the church.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CABELL: This was in 1970, though, that you -- the car broke down about a block away? That's all I (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

WILLADEAN BROGDEN, CHERRY'S EX-WIFE: About a block away.

CABELL: And that...

BROGDEN: And he just said that was where he planted the bomb -- a bomb under the steps.

CABELL: He said that. Did he say he was worry about it?

BROGDEN: Well, sometimes he would say he's sorry and other times he'd say he was -- brag about it. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CABELL: One of the final witnesses yesterday was Chris McNair, the father of one of the victims, 11-year-old Denise McNair. He told the jury the last time he saw his daughter was in the morgue in the hospital when she had a piece of mortar smashed into her skull.

This is a case full of emotion, full of history, full of faded memories, and the prosecutor says -- the prosecutor has said this will be a tough case for the jury.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG JONES, PROSECUTOR: The jury's job is to not speculate about why we didn't hear it 40 years ago. The jury's job is to determine what they have heard in the courtroom in the last four days. And we believe this jury will do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABELL: The trial resumes here in just about one hour. Probably the defense will take about two days, so they should get this case probably by Tuesday at the latest.

Back to you.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Brian Cabell in Birmingham. Thank you very much.

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