Beth Shelburne

So in addition to Tafora's case, I discover that Violet Ellison has been a witness for the state in four other criminal cases.

Marika Wilson was the first person that we tracked down who Violet Ellison had testified against.

When I first called Marika, I told her about the four other cases Violet was involved in as a witness.

Right, we know of five different criminal cases.

Is these folks convicted because of her?

There's something going on with that, y'all.

In order to believe in Taforist Johnson's conviction, you have to believe that Violet Ellison was truthful when she said that she overheard Taforist talk about killing Deputy Hardy, that she wasn't after the reward money because she didn't know about it.

You have to believe that Violet Ellison is credible.

So we need to know everything we can about Violet Ellison, because without her, without her credibility, there is no case against Taforist Johnson.

I'm Beth Shelburne.

This is Ear Witness, Chapter 7, Messy.

In January of 2022, Mara and I start trying to track down the other people Violet Ellison testified against.

We spend a lot of time in my car, full days sometimes.

I pack mom snacks, healthy stuff like hummus and baby carrots, raw almonds, maybe a Diet Dr. Pepper on a hard day.

Marika was the first person we were able to find.

The second case that listed Violet Ellison as a witness was a second-degree assault between two men who got in a fight.

The case ended in a plea deal, so she never actually testified.

We weren't able to figure out exactly why she was listed as a witness.

We tried very hard to talk to the man charged in the case, but never could reach him.

And then there was the third case.