KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The warning signs were clear that something was wrong in March 2020 at a West Knoxville home shared by a mother, daughter and a friend who ended up shot to death, court testimony showed Thursday.
Early March 7, Juliana White called 911 repeatedly, trying to get the Knoxville Police Department to check on her fears that a prowler was outside her West Knoxville rental home. An officer only arrived after the fourth call. He found nothing.
Less than 24 hours later, a barely coherent and frightened Barbara Rogers quietly made an emergency call about 12:50 a.m. from the same house, testimony showed Thursday.
She struggled to explain what was wrong but told a call-taker someone had fired shots.
Her call ended abruptly with a loud noise, after which the call-taker said, "Hello?" Rogers did not respond.
Authorities elected to give her call their lowest priority that night. KPD also was shorthanded, testimony showed.
Before dawn, however, police would have a triple murder on their hands.
Desmon Rhea, 27, who had lived at the home, is being tried this week in Knox County Criminal Court for the killings of White, Rogers and White's mother, Millie Blackwell.
Knox County Deputy District Attorney General Leland Price and Assistant District Attorney General Cameron Williams are seeking to ensure Rhea is convicted with no chance ever for parole. They are not seeking the death penalty.
Rhea is represented by veteran defense attorney Wade Davies, who has already raised doubts about some elements of the state's case.
Thursday marked the start of testimony. The trial is expected to go into next week.
White was found shot to death early March 8, 2020, near Liberty and Division streets . Police soon after found the bodies of Rogers and Blackwell inside the Trousdale home, dead from gunshots.
Authorities think White was shot and killed in a vehicle and then left in the freezing night air on the roadway, her heels and handbag splayed about nearby.
White had endured much pain and stress in the months leading up to her death, testimony showed Thursday.
Someone inexplicably had shot up her Honda in October 2019 outside the house, forcing her to get a different car.
And then on Feb. 14, 2020, she called her best friend to tell her that Rhea had assaulted her, including drawing blood on her head with a pistol blow, according to testimony.
When she called 911 first about 1:21 a.m. March 7, she told a call-taker she thought she'd heard voices outside. With each successive call, her tone grew more urgent and fearful.
Ultimately when KPD Officer Terry Crowe responded, he said he checked around the outside of the Trousdale home but found nothing. He then knocked on the door and spoke with White, he told jurors.
When Rogers placed her frightened call about 50 minutes after midnight March 8, she had trouble relaying the exact address and explaining what was happening to her. She mentioned something about an intruder and shots.
Emergency communicators thought she was telling them that the police had fired shots at her, although that's not what it appears she was trying to say.
It appears she was shot and killed soon after placing the phone call.
After first being alerted by a caller to the discovery of White's body on the road near Division and Liberty, police then found the older women's bodies upstairs in the Trousdale home.
Inside Rogers' room they also found a Ruger magazine with two live rounds and a small dog.
White's 6-year-old daughter also was in the house. She had not been wounded. The child may testify. She knew Rhea as "Des," records show.
Testimony resumes Friday morning.
