Murder victims Carissa Horton, 18, and Ethan Nichols, 21, are seen here during an event at Rhema Bible Church in Broken Arrow.

Hicks Park murder

suspects stand trial

Reported by: Abbie Alford

Email: aalford@fox23.com

Updated 1/10 10:38 p.m.

Published 1/10 6:08 a.m.

Fox23

[sic] Tulsa County judge ruled there is enough evidence for Darren Price, 19, and Jerard Davis, 21,to stand trial in the shooting deaths of a young couple in east Tulsa last fall.

Fifteen witnesses took the stand on Tuesday in the preliminary hearing for the two men accused of killing Ethan Nichols, 21 and his ORU girlfriend, Carissa Horton, 18, at Hicks Park in September, 2011.

The lead detective testified the suspects admit to being at the park, corroborate each other's stories but accuse the other of pulling the trigger.

Price and Davis are accused of ambushing Ethan and Carissa when they were jogging at Hicks Park after dark on September 18th. Police say Price and Davis stole the couple's car and cell phones and even texted Nichols [sic] family the next day.

A dog walker who found the couple and another walker who found Nichols' ID took the stand.

After police identified the victims, patrol officers fanned the 31^st and Mingo area

and found what they believed to be Ethan's 2001 White Pontiac Grand Am in the Salida Park Apartments.

One TPD officer with the Northern Oklahoma Violent Crimes Task Force testified he followed Price as he left the apartments.

He and several officers and detectives testified that after they chased down Price in Ethan's 2001 White Pontiac Grand Am Price crashed it into an apartment complex about a mile away.

Police found a pistol and an iPhone in the seat and Ethan's cell phone in Price's back pocket.

It was on the cell phone where police found chilling evidence. Ethan's sister testified she called police after her brother didn't come home the night before and didn't report for work at Blue Bell. She says he was always up in the morning watching the Gameshow network.

When she texted Ethan's asking where he was and said she contacted police she received responses from Ethan's phone

"Call off police, I'm fine, I don't want to talk right now."

That was after police determined Ethan was killed. The lead detective then asked his sister to send a message to lure the person with Ethan's phone with money to cash from Ethan's paycheck.

The lead detective, TPD Homicide Vic Regalado, testified when Price was brought into questioning he admitted to being at the park but said it was Davis who put Ethan and Carissa on their knees and shot and killed them.

Police executed a search warrant on Davis' apartment that night and found the suspected murder weapon inside his Windsong apartment.

Regaldo says when Davis was brought in for questioning Davis admitted to being at the park but it was Price who pulled the trigger.

Both say they went back to the park later that night and stole Ethan's car.

The last person to take the stand was a person who contradicted a lot of her answers and previous statements. [N.S. That would be Price's girlfriend, Deshantel Watson. Why on earth would Abbie Alford or her editors at Fox23 look to protect a perjuror?]

She was the girl who testified she previously told police Price confessed to the murders and said it was Davis who shot Ethan and then when Carissa looked up she told the shooter she wouldn't forget his face so Price grabbed Davis' gun and shot her in the head.

Throughout her near 90 minute testimony she would contradict those previous statements and said she wasn't afraid, however, she previously told police she was afraid of Price and that he threatened to kill her if she told authorities about the Hicks murders.

The next day a local reporter unknowingly interviewed Price about the crimes, where he stated he was shocked about the killings.

Price and Davis have been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and armed robbery. Price is also charged with possession of a firearm after being formally being convicted of a felony and eluding police.

Price and Davis are being held on more than $2 million dollars bond.

They are scheduled to be formally arraigned January 17^th and also enter a plea.