Troy

Justin Mann told jurors Friday he reluctantly took part in a quadruple slaughter in Lansingburgh in 2017 at the behest of a maniacal James White who he said stabbed all four victims and threatened to kill him and his family if he didn’t help him.

In graphic detail, the 26-year-old Mann walked jurors at White’s murder trial in Rensselaer County Court through the night of Dec. 21, 2017 beginning with a conversation Mann said he had with White, whom he referred to as “Jay Dub.”

The prosecution’s star witness likened the actions of White on the night of the slayings to the savage butchery of Michael Myers, the fictional villain of the horror movie “Halloween."

“He said, ‘You better do what I say or you’re going to be next,’” Mann testified, wearing an orange jumpsuit from the Rensselaer County jail. “He wasn’t playing. I was scared.”

He said White threatened to kill his family If he did not assist him.

Mann, who took the witness stand for most of the work day, displayed a foggy memory at times. He was combative when cross-examined by White’s defense lawyer, Kurt Haas. Mann made several outbursts. And he claimed repeatedly that he did not have to answer questions posed by the defense attorney.

Mann consistently pointed the finger at White — and testified he did not kill the victims despite his guilty pleas to four counts of second-degree murder charges which has him facing 25 years to life in prison.

“If you didn’t do these crimes, why did you take a plea?” Haas asked Mann.



“I don’t know,” Mann replied.

Prosecutors did not re-question Mann after cross-examination. He exited the stand late Friday afternoon.

White, 39, is charged with the first-degree murders of Brandi Mells, 22; Shanta Myers, 36; and Myers' two children: Jeremiah Myers, 11, and Shanise Myers, 5. If convicted, White faces life in state prison without the possibility of parole.

The victims were not discovered until Dec. 26, 2017. Christmas presents and cards had piled up outside their door.

Mann testified that on the night of the killings, White divulged his ghastly intentions when the two men were in Schenectady.

“We’re going to Troy. We’re gonna murder these people,” Mann said White told him.

Mann, who is from the Far Rockaway section of Queens and whose mother lives in Schenectady, said he met White at the library in Schenectady. They became friends over shared interests in video games and rap, he said.

On the night of the bloodshed, Mann said the two men rode bikes to a CDTA bus, took it to Troy, locked the bikes up and made their way to the victims’ house at 158 Second Ave. Mann said under White’s direction, he knocked on the door of the home. He said he claimed that someone had stolen the bike of a boy who lived there.

After a person answered the door, Mann testified that White shoved him in and ordered everyone inside to lay down.

“They looked at him like, ‘Jay Dub - what are you doing?’” Mann testified.

The witness said the situation quickly turned violent.

“He told me to tie them up. I said, ‘I can’t do that.’ He said, ‘Do what I say!’" Mann testified.

“Did you tie them up?” Rensselaer County Assistant Cheryl McDermott asked the witness.

“Yes,” he replied.

Mann testified that White grabbed a knife, placed a pillow beside the head of the first victim, an adult, and stabbed her in the neck through it. White did the same with the 5-year-old girl, but first told the child, “This is like a needle. It’s not gonna hurt,” he testified.

He said he shook as White continued the violence, adding White swore at one of the women before killing her.

Mann testified that one of the victims asked White: “You’re gonna kill me in front of my family?” He said White said yes.

Mann said he put clothes over the victims’ bodies because he could not stand to see the bloodshed. “This is not a movie. This is real life,” he said of White’s alleged rage. “He wouldn’t stop.”

Mann said he told White they needed to leave the home, but White insisted they stay and wait for the 11-year-old boy to return, saying, “I’m gonna snatch him.” Mann said White killed the child after the boy arrived.

“He took full control,” Mann said.

Mann said White told him to grab items from the house, including a television and an Xbox video-game system.

On their way out, he said, White ordered him not to step in the snow because it could leave footprints for police.

Mann said they walked back to their bikes and took the bus back to Schenectady. The prosecutor showed video footage of the men on the bus. Mann was holding a bag.

As Mann testified, members of the victims’ family sat in the courtroom clearly upset at the details. Three of them left the courtroom as the testimony became increasingly grim.

Mann’s attorney, Jasper Mills, stood behind him as he testified. Mann frequently asked Rensselaer County Judge Debra Young if he could pause and confer with Mills. She obliged.

During cross-examination, Haas grilled Mann about why he agreed to go to Troy with White if he knew White planned to kill people.

"You didn’t have to go,” Haas reminded Mann.

"He told me to go,” Mann responded.

“So what?” Haas fired back. ”If (prosecutor Matthew Hauf) told you to jump off a bridge, would you jump off a bridge?”

The judge cut off the question following an objection.

Haas reminded Mann that when he pleaded guilty, he told the judge that White first killed the adults and then the children. On Friday, Mann said he killed a woman first and then the little girl. Mann initially disputed his past comments, then acknowledged he made the remarks. Haas had been reading from a transcript.

As Haas asked Mann about his actions during the murders, a combative Mann began each answer saying he did what White had instructed him to do. The judge needed to call multiple breaks as Mann testified because Mann continually elaborated in his answers. At one point, Mann said to his lawyer he was “going to jail” for White.

At another point, Mann became frustrated that the cross-examination was taking so long — and remarked about White.

“He killed kids, man,” Mann testified, clearly irked. He referred to White as a “savage.”

“I don’t kill kids,” Mann told Haas at one point.

“You do, though,” Haas responded, highlighting Mann’s admission to four counts of second-degree murder.

Under Haas’ questioning, Mann reluctantly admitted he stole a red and white scarf from the house because they were gang colors.

Haas asked Mann if it was true that he initially told Troy detectives he and White went to Lansingburgh for electronics. Mann said he was detoxing from using pills and cannot remember what he said.

Haas, in turn, asked Mann if Mann remembered asking the same detectives if he could speak to his “mommy” during the police interview. Mann agreed he did. Haas suggested Mann had a selective memory.

Haas confronted Mann about his past. Mann has a criminal record that includes an armed robbery in Queens.

“You’re a violent person aren’t you?“ Haas asked Mann.

"No,” the witness responded.

"You haven’t threatened people?” Haas pressed.

"Never, “Mann answered.

"Not even while incarcerated?” Haas asked.

"I don’t have to answer that question,” Mann replied

"Yeah, you do,” Haas said.

Haas noted several incidents in the Rensselaer County jail in which Mann has been accused of threatening correction officers.

Mann earlier said he had trouble turning his head in a certain direction on the witness stand. The reason, he said, was he was once shot in the face.

The trial will resume on Monday at 9:30 a.m.