Wintess Says Oxley Admitted To Murder

CANTON — The St. Lawrence County Courthouse played host to a little drama Wednesday afternoon during the murder trial of Wayne T. Oxley Jr.

For the first time in three trials, District Attorney Nicole M. Duvé called convicted felon Corey J. Printup to testify. Mr. Printup said that while he was in the St. Lawrence County jail in August 2009, Oxley confessed to murdering Bernard A. Trickey Jr.

Oxley, Ogdensburg, is accused of beating his neighbor Mr. Trickey to death with a wooden baseball bat in August 2005.

Oxley was convicted of second-degree murder, but an appellate court sent the case back for a retrial. A second trial ended with a hung jury.

Mr. Printup testified that he wrote two letters to the district attorney’s office in April and May 2011. In the letters, he said that he would testify as to what Oxley told him, but that he needed something in return.

According to testimony, after Oxley got into a fight with another inmate over television privileges, Mr. Printup said Oxley told him he “offed” Trickey and not to tell anyone else, because Oxley is not yet off the hook for the crime.

During cross-examination, Oxley attorney Peter A. Dumas, Malone, focused on the witness’s criminal history and credibilty.

Mr. Printup has several driving while intoxicated convictions and served a two-year prison sentence at Marcy Correctional Facility for violating his probation. After release from prison, he was returned to serve 90 days when he violated his parole.

Mr. Printup was charged in January 2011 with burglary and grand larceny. He was accused of driving two others to a Potsdam home, where they stole shotguns and rifles.

Chief Assistant District Attorney Amanda N. Nissen said Mr. Printup asked for probation, but instead will receive a three-year prison sentence.

“Instead of 15 years, you’re going to get three,” Mr. Dumas said.

Mr. Dumas also questioned Mr. Printup’s decision to not come forward earlier instead of waiting more than a year.

Oxley’s father, Wayne T. Oxley Sr., a former New York City police officer, said putting Mr. Printup on the stand disgraced the proceeding.

“In all my years of law enforcement, I have never seen a district attorney stoop so low,” the elder Oxley said.

Because Mr. Dumas represented Mr. Printup on a previous DWI charge, Mr. Printup waived any attorney-client privileges before taking the stand.

Earlier this week, Ms. Duvé reread pretrial testimony from Oxley’s neighbor John D. Shannon. Ogdensburg police officers have testified that Mr. Shannon led them to Oxley’s house the day after the murder.

Mr. Shannon died in a house fire two weeks after Mr. Trickey’s murder. The fire was ruled as arson, but no arrests were made. Police officers also testified earlier that Mr. Shannon was a police informant for them when the murder happened.

Mr. Dumas argued that a thorough cross examination wasn’t performed and that Mr. Shannon’s testimony should not be read in front of the jury.

Throughout the trial, Oxley said Mr. Shannon either killed Mr. Trickey or knew who did.

Testimony is expected to continue this morning.