Co-defendant testimony deals blow to man accused in crossbow killing

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – The co-defendant of the Shreveport man accused of killing another man with a crossbow and dumping his body near the south end of Wallace Lake in February 2020 took the stand Tuesday, detailing how he found himself helping to dispose of the body.

Dillon Brown, 29 is charged with accessory after the fact to second-degree murder in the death of 33-year-old Rodney Nordby. His trial date has not yet been set. But on Tuesday, he testified against his co-defendant, 26-year-old Daniel Haire, who is on trial for second-degree murder in Nordsby’s death.

Testimony began Tuesday afternoon in Caddo Parish District Court after jury selection wrapped up with the swearing-in of a four-man, eight-woman jury

On the stand, Brown outlined how his friend Haire, who lived with his parents, sister, and her child just a block away from the Broadmoor home Brown shared with his grandparents, girlfriend, and their baby, called him in the early morning hours to come help dump some trash.

He described how he drove his grandfather’s truck to Haire’s home and Haire asked him to help with the trash. Brown said he first believed Haire wanted him to help roll the trash can to the street, but Haire explained he wanted to take the trash to a dumpster.

Brown said he helped Haire load the trash barrel into the back of the truck, but he didn’t know what was inside. They drove to the dumpster, Brown said, and Haire got in the back of the truck and opened the trash can and slid its contents into the dumpster.

He said Haire then came back to his house where they watched TV for a couple of hours, but then Haire said he wanted to go back to the dumpster, retrieve the trash, and take it elsewhere.

Brown agreed, so back they went. This time, Brown backed up the truck to the dumpster and Haire jumped inside it. He then asked Brown to help him load the trash back into the truck, and when Brown did, he saw something wrapped in comforters. Brown said he did not know there was a body involved until Haire handed him a corner of the comforters to pull up into the truck.

Although Brown told Caddo Parish Assistant District Attorney Kobie Smith that he wanted to call the police, he was “too scared.” He then detailed how the two drove out to Wallace Lake and left the body in about a foot of water.

It was after they disposed of the body that Haire told Brown who the victim was. Both men knew Nordby, Brown said.

Haire later tried to give Nordby’s motorcycle to Brown, who said he didn’t want it. But he did allow Haire to put it in his shed at his grandparents’ home. Brown’s grandmother, Kay Brown, earlier testified that she walked into the shed and found Haire spray-painting the bike.

When detectives determined Haire and Brown to be suspects in Nordby’s murder, they first went to Haire’s house, and when he wasn’t there, went to Brown’s, where Kay Brown invited them in to search the house, yard, and shed.

“I didn’t have anything to hide,” she said on the witness stand.

Police arrested Brown and Haire the next day while they two were out and about with Brown’s girlfriend, Amy Willis. Police were able to stop the three in Willis’ Chrysler Sebring. Police found a crossbow in the vehicle, which was on top of a .22 rifle.

Both Brown and Haire are also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, though the gun belonged to Brown.

Brown also said he figured out the crossbow was the murder weapon after they had gone to three pawnshops where Haire tried to pawn it.

During opening statements before testimony began, Prosecutor Kobie Smith outlined the case he said he planned to present, beginning with Nordby’s body being found in the park at Wallace Lake, and what deputies saw when they opened the comforters – a body that had been penetrated by a “single arrow through the chest and out the other side.”

Smith emphasized that Haire had invited Nordby to his home that night, a charge defense attorney Stephen Glassell disputed when it was his turn to give his opening statement.

Glassell first said that there is no dispute as to who killed Nordby, Haire admitted it from the beginning. But Glassell said the murder was basically self-defense.

“This happened at Mr. Haire’s residence,” Glassell said. Daniel Haire lived with his parents, his sister, and their minor son. “Everyone was home, asleep.”

He continued that Nordby came late at night, prowling around the backyard, “and then went to the carport, prowling around.” Glassell said Haire did invite Nordby to his home that day, “but not late at night.”  

Glassell said three days earlier, Haire had called Shreveport police about Nordby prowling around the house and they came out and made a report. He said Haire shot Nordby with the bow and “then panicked,” and called Brown, rather than police.

“When you hear all the evidence, you will see it was self-defense,” Glassell concluded.

In addition to Brown and his grandmother, witnesses who testified Wednesday afternoon included the 911 operator who took the call from the teens who found Nordby’s body at Wallace Lake, a probation officer, the CPSO investigator who arrested Haire, and Brown.

The prosecution will resume its case at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.