Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 4, 1990 TAG: 9004040566
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: RON BROWN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A Henry County Circuit Court grand jury indicted Rodney Lee Manning of Ridgeway on one count of perjury.
Manning was one of 12 jurors impaneled in the case of Paul D. Ramsey, a barber who shot a Henry County deputy to death during an early morning drug raid in July.
According to J. Randolph Smith, special prosecutor in the case, Manning said during pretrial questioning that he had talked to Ramsey only once. Ramsey said that conversation took place when he took his son to Ramsey for a haircut, Smith said.
On the night Deputy Paul Grubb was shot, police found a diary in Ramsey's house that contained both Manning's home and work telephone numbers.
Smith said other evidence developed in a state police investigation showed that Manning had talked with Ramsey on numerous occasions.
Smith was named prosecutor in the case because Henry County Commonwealth's Attorney Bob Bushnell was the law partner of Jim Young, Ramsey's attorney.
Henry County Circuit Judge Kenneth Covington declared a mistrial in the capital murder case Jan. 24, citing "irregularities with the jury."
He said that "one or more members of the jury have had conversations with one or more witnesses" during recesses in the trial. Covington also said one witness did not reveal complete information during pretrial questioning.
Ramsey was retried in February and found guilty of voluntary manslaughter. The jury gave him a 10-year sentence.
Police had contended that Ramsey was awake and alert when officers attempting to execute a search warrant demanded to be let in the house. Ramsey said he was asleep and thought the police were burglars when he fatally wounded Grubb.
by CNB