Savannah gang members threatened juror in murder trail, police say

The Savannah Police Department is investigating a report that a jury member was threatened by gang members during a murder trial in the city, according to a department news release.

The jury was released when a judge called a mistrial Friday following the threat, the Savannah Morning News reports.

Jury selection will start Monday for a new trial of five alleged Bloods gang members, the newspaper says. The five are charged in the 2013 killing of Rebecca Foley and 2015 murder of James Pastures.

A juror told a courtroom deputy about the threat, the article says. It says a van pulled up next to the woman while she was driving away from the courthouse. One person inside of the van said, “All clear, blatt, blatt.”

The saying refers to “War’s On” in local Bloods language, the article says. Members of the jury were informed of key phrases used by the gang during the trial.

“We are aggressively addressing this issue and will not tolerate any individual feeling threatened or being threatened about taking part in a legal proceeding,” Savannah Police Director Roy Minter said in a release Sunday. “Justice cannot be served if those chosen to produce a verdict do not feel safe to do so.”

Foley was 21 years old when she was shot during a robbery attempt at a residence in the city, the article says. It says prosecutors claim members of the local bloods group stole $2.73 during the robbery.

Gang members killed Pastures — who drove the car during the robbery — because they believed he was working with police, the article says prosecutors claim.

The Savannah Police Department encourages anyone with information on the jury member threat to contact the Violent Crimes detectives at 912-525-3124. Anyone want to remain anonymous and receive a possible cash reward should contact CrimeStoppers at 912-234-2020.

This story was originally published October 28, 2018 at 6:06 PM.