State witness says he lied to investigators

GAINESVILLE - A prosecution witness in the James Grizzle murder trial admitted Wednesday that he lied to a Hall County investigator about hitting the defendant the night James Smith was fatally stabbed at Belton Bridge Park in late August last year.
William Stanley Dodd said he struck James Grizzle in a fight just before Smith was stabbed.
That's what he told Assistant Public Defender Ann Watson; that is not what he told investigators two days after the incident.

"You told the officers, somebody came up and hit him; that's not what you're saying now, is it?," Watson asked.

"No, ma'am," Dodd replied.

"So you didn't tell the truth to that officer," Watson said.

"No, ma'am,"Dodd said.

Dodd said he was afraid he would get into trouble for hitting Grizzle.
Dodd identified Grizzle from a sheriff's photo taken shortly after the stabbing, but did not recognize the defendant sitting just a few feet away in court.

A Hall County Sheriff's investigator testified that Grizzle initially denied any involvement fight that led to the stabbing. Lt. Dale Long said Grizzle at first told him all he did was help get a vehicle out of the mud, but Long taped a phone conversation during which Grizzle told a friend he did fight and was hit.

Long testified that Grizzle also lied about stopping at a convenience store after the stabbing. Long recalled when he searched Grizzle's brother's Ford Explorer, they found bloodstains from the stabbing.

Another state witness testified that the defendant was the "only possible person" who could have killed James Smith.

Nick Mize said he did not see Grizzle stab Smith but he had blood on his hands and neck. Mize said he saw Grizzle fight with Smith, saw him run into the woods and saw him wearing a black leather jacket in the smothering heat shortly after the slaying to disguise the blood stains on his t-shirt. Mize also said he saw him holding a knife and threaten to kill with it just shortly before the slaying.

The jury heard Mize voice on a 911 recording his voice urgent as he reported the death of his friend.