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Ewing: I had nothing to do with attack
Published July 8, 2009
LOGANVILLE — The man whose wife was brutally beaten in a home invasion and later died as a result said he had nothing to do with the attack.
“As God is my witness, there is no way I would be involved in hurting my wife like that,” C.F Ewing said.
Ewing has admitted to a relationship with a woman who was at he and his wife’s Covington Street home with one of the three alleged attackers a week before the assault. But he said in no way did he know they would return and allegedly steal money and beat him and his wife.
Ewing’s 65-year-old wife Epsie Ewing died at Atlanta Medical Center June 23 as a result of the injuries she sustained in the May 21 home invasion.
The father of one of the three men charged said some of the stories about the incident in the press are incorrect.
“It was reported that the three men had allegedly been to the house the week before but at the (preliminary) hearing the detective (Loganville Police Department Lt. Mike Westbrooks) testified that only one of the men allegedly accused in the crime had been to the house with two other women to meet with C.F. Ewing,” said John Blackwell Sr., father of 18-year-old suspect John J. Blackwell. “(The three accused) were all arrested on C.F.’s testimony and if he wasn’t honest with his wife or with his testimony in the beginning, how can they believe he is being honest about anything?”
Two of the three suspects charged with murder will be in court today for a bond hearing.
John Blackwell Jr. and Barry Marquez Partee, 18, both of Monroe, will be in court but officials said no request has been made on behalf of Corey Butler, 28, of Monroe, the third man accused in attack.
The alleged attack resulted in the theft $117, according to police. At the time of Epsie’s death, all three suspects were already in custody after being arrested within a week of the attack.
According to Westbrook’s testimony, Butler and two other women — one being Angela Jackson, 48, of Monroe — went to the house the week before, allegedly to get money from Ewing for “child support.” Police have since said, however, although Ewing did admit to an illicit relationship with Jackson over the course of about seven years, they were unable to identify a child as a result of the relationship.
Blackwell Sr. said, also citing Westbrooks’ testimony, Ewing changed his story over the course of the first few days of the attack.
“(Ewing) first said the three men allegedly approached him to buy the car and then pulled the gun on him and forced him into the house. He only changed his story and told about taking the car for a test drive with one of them after one of his neighbors saw him and notified the authorities,” Blackwell Sr. said, also questioning whether Ewing could even be believed in his identification of the three men.
Ewing said he only identified the three alleged perpetrators in a line up after another witness had provided the information for a sketch of two of the alleged attackers and then identified them.
“It was only after the detectives brought me that information I was able to identify them,” Ewing said, adding, “I had never seen (Partee and Blackwell) before.”
Ewing said he told the investigators the truth about events surrounding the home invasion, including his involvement with Jackson.
“I told the investigators from the start what happened,” Ewing said, adding his wife also knew Jackson.
“Me and my wife had two flea markets and she would come and buy stuff from us,” Ewing said, going on to confirm she, another woman and Butler had come to the house the week before to get money from him.
Westbrooks said Ewing was beaten in the head during the attack and he believed as “the fog cleared” the 70-year-old man remembered things with more clarity.
Butler allegedly returned a week later with Partee and Blackwell on the pretext of wanting to buy Ewing’s pickup truck. Following a test ride, Butler allegedly pulled a gun on Ewing, forcing him into the house, followed by the other two defendants, where the alleged beatings took place.
Blackwell Sr. said his family is devastated by what has happened.
“I feel horrible — it’s something no parent would want to go through,” Blackwell Sr. said. “And I feel bad for the lady that lost her life and for her family. No one should have to go through that.”
Blackwell Sr.’s son was the first of the accused men to turn himself in after being told by his father police had been at the house looking for him.
“My wife and I can’t even sleep at night knowing our son is accused of being involved in hurting somebody like this or taking somebody’s life — it’s just sad,” Blackwell Sr. said, adding he doesn’t believe his son was involved but if it turns out different, he expects his son to take responsibility for his actions.
“I just want the truth to come out, that’s all,” Blackwell Sr. said. “And that’s not happening right now.”
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