Back To Mobile Site
News4Jax.com
  • Singer Whitney Houston

    Whitney Houston

    Legendary singer through the years

    Restaurant inspections

    Kitchen clean?

    Check our restaurant inspection database

    Oscar statuette, Academy Awards

    All things Oscar

    Nominees, reviews, interactives

    Wheel of Justice

    Most Wanted

    Fugitives on the Wheel of Justice

    Radar: Clearing skies

    Clearing skies

    Front passes, winter temps coming

  • Click for More
    Just Weather.com
Sponsored by
  • Home
    • Most Popular
    • Sign Up For Email Newsletters
    • News4Jax Mobile
    • Sign Up For Text Alerts
    • RSS
    • Contact Us
  • News
    • Local/Florida News
    • Georgia News
    • U.S./World News
    • Money
    • Crime Alert
    • Education
    • Traffic
    • This Week In Jacksonville
    • Weird News
  • Weather
    • Justweather.com
    • Radar & Lightning
    • Hurricane Info
    • Hurricane Tracking
    • Gaughan Bloggin’
    • WeatherCall
    • Beach & Boating
    • Temperatures
    • Travel Weather
  • Sports
    • All-Star Athlete
    • Jaguars
    • Party Headquarters
    • River Run
  • Entertainment
    • Area Events
    • Contests
    • At The Movies
    • What's On 4?
    • Food
    • Recipes
    • Valentine's Day
    • Trending News
    • 2012 Autos
    • Pets
  • Health
    • New Year New You
    • What’s Going Around?
    • Better Bodies
    • Healthy Heart
    • Good 4 You
    • Food
    • Recipes
    • Breast Cancer Awareness
    • Wolfson: One To Grow On
  • Election 2012
    • Florida Primary
    • Florida Legislative Session
    • This Week In Jacksonville
  • Morning Show
    • Crime Alert
    • Wheel Of Justice
    • What’s Going Around?
    • Restaurant Report Card
    • Money Matters
    • Angie's List
    • Recalls
    • Recipes
  • Consumer News
    • Money
    • Recalls
    • Consumer Reports
    • Restaurant Report Card
    • Angie's List
    • House & Home
    • Jax Jobs
    • Local Experts
    • Automotive
    • Real Estate
    • Dating
  • Seen on
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • First Coast School Expo
    • Inside WJXT
    • News Team
    • What's On 4?
    • What’s Going Around?
    • Wheel Of Justice
    • Recipes
    • WJXT Editorials
  • Home
  • ›  News
  • Murder Trial Restarts With More Fireworks

    Gary McCray On Trial On 4 Counts Of Murder

    Published On: Oct 14 2011 02:31:47 PM EDT  Updated On: Sep 02 2008 09:02:33 AM EDT
    • Small Text
    • Medium Text
    • Large Text
    • Print
    • Email
    • Tweet
    Close

    Send to a Friend

    GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. -

    A man whose trial on four counts of murder resumed Tuesday fired his attorney and was ordered out of the courtroom twice -- and that was before lunch.

    Gary McCray, who is accused of shooting and killing four people on May 23, 2004, was back in a Clay County courtroom after his trial was suspended in July.

    McCray is accused of killing Phillip Perrotta, 53, John Whitehead, 37, John Oliver Ellis Jr., 51, and Robin Selkirk, 45.

    Investigators said the victims were each shot with a high-powered semi-automatic weapon. Clay County deputies said McCray apparently knew the victims and they said the house where the shooting took place was known for drug activity.

    After being arrested in a Tallahassee motel, McCray was held on drug charges while prosecutors built their homicide case against him.

    In February 2006, Judge Frederic Buttner found McCray not competent to stand trial and sent him to a Florida State Hospital for treatment. Later that year, after hearing the recommendation of doctors at the mental hospital, Buttner ruled McCray was able to assist in his own defense.

    McCray went on trial in July, but after two days of jury selection in which McCray threatened his lawyers, argued with Judge William Wilkes and was physically restrained, the trial was suspended.

    The jury picked in July was back in the courtroom Tuesday to hear opening statements in the case.

    After years of waiting for justice for their loved ones, family members were in the courtroom, hoping to get finally some answers. However, similarly to his previous court appearance, McCray began by speaking out of turn.

    He was removed from the courtroom once during the early-morning session before firing his attorneys.

    When the judge asked him if knew how to conduct himself as an attorney, McCray said yes but his attorneys were reinstated and he was removed from the courtroom after speaking out of turn about irrelevant topics.

    After lunch, McCray's attorneys asked that the defendant be allowed to return to the courtroom again. The judge said he would allow it out, but warned that if McCray spoke out of turn again, he would be sent to cell to watch the remainder of the trial on closed circuit TV.

    Witnesses were able to take the stand on Tuesday as prosecutors began to build their case.

    The trial is expected to continue on Wednesday.

    Previous Stories:

    • July 29, 2008: Quadruple Murder Trial Delayed, Again
    • July 28, 2008: Bailiffs Pull Quadruple Murder Defendant From Courtroom
    • December 7, 2006: Man Ruled Competent To Stand Trial In 4 Killings
    • February 2, 2006: Judge: Man Accused Of Killing 4 In Orange Park Not Competent
    • August 17, 2004: North Florida Man Charged In Quadruple Homicide
    • May 27, 2004: Quadruple Orange Park Killing Suspect Caught In Tallahassee
    • May 25, 2004: 3 Orange Park Slaying Victims Had Been Arrested With Suspect
    • May 24, 2004: Manhunt Continues For Suspect In Orange Park 'Mass Killing'
    • May 23, 2004: 4 Killed In Orange Park Shootings
    • Copyright 2011 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Up Next:Club patron with gun killed by police


    Comments


    The views expressed are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms Of Service and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. 
  • Severe Weather

    JustWeather.com Severe Warnings
  • Advertisement
  • Today's Clickers

    • Which movie stars got their start on TV?

      George Clooney

      Danny Moloshok/Reuters

      George Clooney and Michelle Williams, who are both up for Oscars this year…

    • Which movie stars got start on TV?
    • 5 biggest first-date mistakes you can make
    • Controversies that rocked celeb endorsements
    • Know your movie couples
    • Sexiest women, men of the Oscars
  • National News

    • No 'signs of trauma,' but few other details on Whitney Houston's death

      1999 Whitney Houston

      Michael Urban/Reuters

      Questions swirled Sunday about what caused iconic singer Whitney Houston's…

    • Bobbi Kristina Brown taken to hospital; later released
    • Amid clashes, Greek Parliament approves austerity measures
    • Arab League proposes peacekeeping force, support for Syrian rebels
    • Zambia win Africa Cup of Nations
    • Political clashes coming over budget, payroll tax cut
    • Stunned celebrities mourn Whitney Houston
    • Gadhafi son under house arrest in Niger, Libya says
    • Romney victories mask lingering questions about his candidacy
    • Mitt Romney wins Maine caucuses
  • Advertisement
  • Features

    Donkey Elephant Democrat Republican ib2 blurb

    Presidential primary and caucus dates
    Restaurant inspections

    Bugs in kitchen?

    Find out What's Going Around
    3 days auto sale

    Jax Federal Credit Union
    Valentine's Day

    Get deals on great gifts for your sweetie!
    Get the News4Jax mobile app for Apple, Android and Blackberry devices

    Get the News4Jax mobile and sign up for text alerts

    Find JustWeather.com on your smart phone web browser
    Dirtiest - Generic

    Reuters

    America's 20 dirtiest cities
    Chris Noth and Sarah Jessica Parker 2

    Top-earning Hollywood movie couples
    Martha Stewart at Clinton Global Initiative

    Chip East/Reuters

    Celebrities & their charities
    law tv jacksonville

    Find Attorneys. Get Answers.
Email Alerts RSS News Feed Mobile Live Streams Slideshows Video
Set News 4 Jax as Homepage| Back To Top
Partners: washingtonpost.com
© 2012, WJXT - Jacksonville
Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Advertising | Site Map