Ex-girlfriend says Stewart shot his gun

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A man who was incarcerated at the same time as the alleged accomplice in the Hamilton Avenue murders testified against him in court Wednesday.

And a former girlfriend said Stewart told her he actually pulled the trigger on his gun that night.

James Stewart is accused of helping Desmond Turner in the worst mass killing in Indianapolis history.

Seven family members died the night of June 1, 2006, during a robbery at 560 North Hamilton Avenue.

They were Alberto Covarrubias; his partner, Emma Valdez; their two young children; her two grown children; and her five-year-old grandson.

A judge convicted Turner in October and, last month, sentenced him to life in prison without parole.

Now, Stewart is standing trial in the case. He could face a prison sentence of hundreds of years if convicted.

Nobody who was in the 500 block of North Hamilton Avenue the night of the killings has been able to identify Stewart in court as one of the men who went into the victims' home.

But so far in this trial, four witnesses have said Stewart later told them he was with Turner in the home when the killings occurred.

One of those witnesses, Joyce Snorten failed to show up to testify Tuesday.

However, the deposition she gave earlier this year was read in court.

Wednesday morning, Eric Taylor, who had been incarcerated in Marion County at the same time as Stewart, said Stewart also told him he was with Turner the night of the murders.

"He said Dez (Turner) killed the kids and he (Stewart) was there," Taylor testified.

Prosecutor Jennifer Haley asked, "Did he tell you they both had guns when they went there?”

"Yes," said Taylor.

Defense attorney Richard Bucheri suggested Taylor was testifying against Stewart with the hope of getting a lengthy prison sentence shortened as a result.

"You're not only doing this to help the kids. You're doing this to help yourself," Bucheri said to Taylor.

"Yes," Taylor replied.

A juror followed up with this written question, read aloud by Judge Robert Altice: "If you were not offered a deal on your time, would you still testify against James Stewart?"

"No," Taylor replied.

Another witness testifying Wednesday, Shannon Winchester, is a former girlfriend of Stewart’s.

She said he came to her house the next day and told her some of the details of the killings.

“He said he reached out his handgun and, ‘Shoot, shoot, shoot,’ Winchester said. She went on to say that he told her, ‘I started shooting, shooting, shooting.’”

Earlier in the day, Judge Altice said Joyce Snorten, the witness who failed to appear in court Tuesday, ended up coming forward Tuesday night.

Neither the prosecution nor the defense said they wanted to call her as a witness, after her deposition was read Tuesday.