GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (March 5, 2014)– Wednesday was the second day of testimony in the trial of Javonte Higgins as the prosecutor worked to seek justice for the murders of David and Vivian Bouwman.
The first part of the day focused on Higgins’ criminal history, with people taking the stand to testify about alleged break-ins he was linked to in the past.
The jury also heard about a stolen truck that police say Higgins crashed just weeks before the murder that left him seriously injured.
Defense attorney Valerie Foster says she previously objected to having the cases brought up because it has nothing to do with this case, but that was overruled by the judge.
Chief Assistant Prosecutor Chris Becker said during his opening statements that it shows a pattern for Higgins.
The jury also heard from two of Higgins’ friends, including Lacie Martin, who testified she was with Higgins in the hours before the alleged shootings and dropped him off in the Bouwmans’ neighborhood.
Another friend of Higgins, Camari Boyd, also took the stand Wednesday. He said the Higgins he knows is a ‘nice’ person and told the prosecutor he actually didn’t want to be in court testifying.
Boyd told the jury that Higgins came to his apartment around 3 or 4 a.m. on Jan. 5, asking him to get rid of a car; the Cadillac that belonged to the Bouwmans.
He testified that Higgins also told him some people got shot, but couldn’t say for sure if Higgins actually said “I” shot anybody.
Boyd went on to testify about seeing Higgins leave his apartment with an orange bucket, the same orange bucket previous witnesses testified seeing at the scene of the Bouwmans’ burning car.
