Testimony continued Monday in the trial of Tia Young and Harvey Timothy Lee, both charged with killing Tia Young’s husband, George Young, in November 2017.
Tia Young, 43, and Lee, 39, were having an affair and plotted to kill 43-year-old George Young for his $1 million insurance policy, prosecutors have argued. Defense attorneys have criticized the state’s case as “thin,” with insufficient evidence, and said that the fact Lee and Tia Young had a romantic relationship does not mean they are responsible for George Young’s death.
Tia Young and Lee are both charged with felony murder, malice murder and aggravated assault. Tia Young is also charged with criminal attempt to commit a felony and criminal attempt to commit a misdemeanor.
MORE | Prosecutor: Wife, lover killed Gwinnett man for $1M insurance policy
The court heard testimony from law enforcement officers who investigated the case as the trial entered its second week; jury selection began March 25 and lasted three days, pushing opening statements to Thursday, March 28.
Police were able to pinpoint the time of George Young’s death between 11:23 p.m. and 11:25 p.m. on Nov. 16, 2017, due to cell phone records and witness statements, said Cpl. Brian Dorminy, a Gwinnett County detective who investigated the case and testified Monday. A neighbor testified that he was awoken by gunshots around 11:25 p.m. and saw a man run to George Young’s car and briefly crawl under it shortly after the shooting. Tia Young and Lee had placed a tracking device on George Young’s car in the weeks leading to his death and used it to plan the killing, police said at the time of their April 2018 arrest.
Defense attorneys have repeatedly questioned the conduct of a “First 48” cameraman who was on the scene when police responded to the shooting. The A&E true crime documentary show has an agreement with the Gwinnett County Police Department allowing a cameraman to accompany police to most homicide scenes for inclusion in the series; a lead detective will usually wear a microphone at the scene as well, Dorminy and other officers testified. The lead detective, Cpl. David Smith, had not yet testified as of 2:30 p.m. Monday.
Defense attorney Dwight Thomas suggested in his opening statement that the “First 48” cameraman could have compromised the crime scene, but has not yet offered further evidence.
The trial is expected to go through Friday.
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