On the third day of Da’quavion Snowden’s murder trial Wednesday, the majority of the prosecution’s testimony came from Snowden’s 2021 police interrogations.
Snowden is charged with the first-degree murder of Kennesaw State University and former Pine Forest High School quarterback Ladarius “LD” Clardy and the attempted first-degree murder of Eric Young after a shooting on July 1, 2021.
The “smoking gun” in the case appears to be Snowden’s own testimony. Although he chose not to testify at his trial, Assistant State Attorney Trey Myers played back hours of interview footage between Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigators and Snowden, recorded in September 2021.
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During the interview with multiple investigators, Snowden said he was driving the car with his brother, Amos Snowden, and Kobie Jenkins when Clardy died from his gunshot wounds. The problem for Snowden came when he said he didn’t think he could be charged with murder if he was just the driver.
“I didn’t have a gun. I just drove the car,” Da’quavion Snowden said during the interview. “I don’t understand why they can charge me with murder. I don’t want to be charged with murder. I’ll be charged with complicity or driving, but I didn’t shoot anyone.’
Investigators told Snowden he can be charged as principal of the crime, which under state law means you don’t have to commit the crime to necessarily be charged with the crime.
Although he admitted to driving the getaway car, Da’quavion Snowden said he was forced to drive by his brother and Jenkins because of their “big old guns”. He said he was afraid to say no because he didn’t have a gun and she did.
Despite detectives explaining to Da’quavion Snowden that he could be charged as the principal to Clardy’s murder, he continued to say that he had never fired a gun and that the murder charge does not “hold”.
“The murder does not stand,” Da’quavion Snowden told investigators. ‘It won’t stick. I didn’t kill anyone.’
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Amos Snowden is also charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, and is awaiting his next trial in September.
Charges were dropped from three others originally involved in the case early this year.
Jenkins, Timothy Knight Jr. and Terrell Parker were charged with the Snowden brothers for Clardy’s murder and Young’s attempted manslaughter, but the Office of the State Attorney later dismissed those charges for lack of evidence.
Following the interview videos, former Associate Medical Examiner Dr. Timothy Gallagher took the stand, explaining that of 58 shots fired on July 1, 2021, 14 hit Clardy.
Gallagher said one bullet hit him in front of the ear and burst into his brain, and two other bullets ricocheted off his ribs and pierced his lungs.
The crowd watching the proceedings was generally calm and orderly, in stark contrast to Tuesday, when Clardy and Snowden’s families got into multiple altercations.
Da’quavion Snowden will prepare for his final day of his trial Thursday, when both attorneys will give their closing arguments and the jury will begin deliberations.
This article originally appeared in Pensacola News Journal: Da’quavion Snowden day 3 of Ladarius Clardy murder trial in Pensacola
