Judge allows prosecutors to enter new texts Kelsey Harris sent about seeking an x-ray for Tory Lanez’s punch.
Two key things came out of Thursday’s trial of the State v Daystar Peterson, also known as Tory Lanez, who is facing three felony counts of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in July 2020. The first was the surgeon who operated on Megan testified and confirmed that Megan was shot and that bullet fragments were removed from her feet on the night of the shooting.
Kelsey Harris‘ examination in chief continued, followed by cross-examination by the defense and re-examination by prosecutors, with the prosecution successful in being granted a request by the judge to enter a new text message Kelsey sent to Megan Thee Stallion telling her Tory punched her, and she needed an x-ray after the shooting.
First, Orthopaedics surgeon Lee S Haruno appeared at Cedar Sinai hospital, where Megan was treated for gunshot wounds to her foot. According to journalist Meghann Cuniff, the surgeon was an assistant to the chief surgeon in charge of operating on Megan’s foot. He testified that four bullet fragments were removed from the rapper’s feet.
This key piece of evidence is in direct dispute with testimony by star witness and ex-best friend Kelsey Harris who said in her examination in chief on Wednesday that she didn’t see Megan get shot, and neither she nor Tory shot Megan and that she was told the rapper had stepped on broken glass.
After the surgeon’s testimony, Kelsey was cross-examined about her September statement, where she said that she saw Tory point his gun at Megan and that he had threatened to kill her before Megan was shot.
Harris left the prosecution in a tailspin on Wednesday after she recanted her statement made to prosecutors back in September. Harris was granted use immunity on Wednesday morning, but in a surprising turn of events, her testimony seemed to favor Tory Lanez, who is facing three felony counts for allegedly shooting Megan Thee Stallion back in July 2020.
While on the stand, Kelsey said she couldn’t recall, or she pleaded the fifth when asked about certain events that she had spoken of in a statement in September. She also said her September statement to prosecutors wasn’t truthful. Among those events was a claim by Kelsey that Tory punched her and dragged her by her hair, and threatened to shoot her, things Megan testified to on Monday.
What ended up happening was Kelsey became a borderline hostile witness- throwing the prosecution center field as it grappled to enter facts into evidence, such as the claim by Kelsey that Tory offered her 1 million dollars to keep quiet. At the end of testimony on Wednesday, the prosecution successfully entered the line of questioning that Tory might have paid her.
When asked if Tory offered her money, she admitted ‘yes’ after an unsuccessful attempt to plead the fifth. The prosecution then asked Kelsey if Tory had paid for her lawyer, and she replied, “I don’t know, I can’t remember.”
On Thursday, Kelsey was again questioned by DA Kathy Ta, who asked, “did you fire the weapon at Megan?”
“No,” Kelsey said.
The prosecutor also questioned Kelsey about her text that said, “Help” and “Tory shot meg.”
“That’s my assumption,” Kelsey said but confirmed that she had heard shots, but she didn’t see Megan limping.
The defense also cross-examined Kelsey with Tory’s lawyer George Mgdesyan focusing mainly on asking Kelsey whether Tory promised her money or if the defense called her or intimidated her, to which she said no.
In the meantime, Judge Herriford granted two important requests by the defense and prosecution. Despite reports that the lead detective Ryan Stogner who responded to the report of the shooting, wouldn’t take the stand, he will appear.
However, despite ardent pleas by the defense to question Stogner about his alleged domestic violence suspension, the judge ruled that the LAPD detective could only be questioned about the Megan Thee Stallion shooting.
The defense is hoping Stogner’s testimony supports their case that Tory was wrongly charged and that detectives botched the investigation.
As for the prosecution, they emerged with a new lifeline on Thursday night as the judge granted a late discovery entry of evidence in the form of a text message from Kelsey sent to Megan the night of the shooting that read:
“Should I get a scan at urgent care? My chest is hurting… My left side, back & neck hurt, but that’s from the fighting & him dragging me out of the car by my hair.”
Despite rebuttals from the defense, the prosecution argued, “the most important thing is that the trial is a search for the truth,” DDA Bott said.
The prosecution has also made a bid to have the judge allow Kelsey’s recorded statement to prosecutors back in September play for the jury to counteract the defense cross-examination and her statements that she was pressured by prosecutors to give the statement, which she now recants.
Up to press time, the court was still in session but expected to wrap at 4 pm L.A time and resume on Friday.
