Defendant Claims He Received Death Threat

A reputed gang member on trial in the killings of four relatives of former football star Kermit Alexander testified Wednesday he has received death threats from another defendant.

Horace Burns, 20, said that one of his two co-defendants, Darren Williams, who he said was a leader of the Rolling 60s street gang, threatened to have him and his family “hit” if Burns implicated him in the killings.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Ernie Norris, however, said that Burns was lying and that Williams, who he maintained is not a gang leader, did not make the threats.

In testimony earlier this week, Burns linked both Williams, 24, and a third defendant, Tiequon Cox, 18, also a reputed gang member, to the slayings. He maintained his own innocence, however.

Burns said Williams threatened him in County Jail before he testified.

“‘If you mention me, I’ll kill you. I can get you hit. Don’t you know, boy, I have power over this whole County Jail? There are 400 Crips (gang members) in this County Jail. I just spoke to boys outside who will kill your family if you mention my name,”’ Burns said Williams told him.

Decided to Testify

Burns said he decided to testify in the case only after his family was moved by authorities and he was placed in protective custody.

Norris confirmed that Burns is in protective custody in the jail, but he said the procedure is routine for defendants who have implicated co-defendants. Norris said he knows nothing about Burns’ family being relocated.

“No way C. W. (Williams’ nickname) threatened Burns,” Norris said. “C. W. is not a heavy in the gang. Burns and Cox are the hard core.”

Burns also testified that he wrote a letter to Cox in jail, asking the co-defendant to lie on the witness stand and say that he was not in the van that drove to the Alexander home the morning of the killings.

He said he made the request because of “the (legal) mess they got me in.”

Burns has admitted he was in the van, but maintained that he did not know that Williams and Cox were allegedly about to invade the Alexander family’s South Los Angeles home and shoot to death Alexander’s mother, sister and two young nephews last August.