Judge allows suspect’s confession in shooting trial

A Cobb County judge said Friday he would let in a confession of a man charged with shooting and paralyzing a well-known expert in primates when the two suspects go on next week.

Kendall Bolden admitted in telephone and in-person conversations that he was “involved” in the shooting of Shelly Williams in November 2005, according to a detective who testified during a pre-trial motion hearing.

Defense attorneys asked Judge Stephen Schuster to prohibit prosecutors from telling the yet-to-be-selected jury about Bolden’s comments. Jury selection is scheduled for Monday.

Smyrna police detective Mitchell Plumb testified that Bolden’s lawyer participated each time they talked.

Williams was at a Smyrna shopping center dropping off a jacket for alterations and Bolden and Elliott Mitchell were nearby.

The two men were at the parking lot to do “a drug deal” but were also planning to “rip off” the drug dealer, Plumb testified. Williams was hit by a stray bullet when a gun was fired during the robbery.

Plumb testified that once an arrest warrant was issued for Bolden, he called and “said he was involved in the shooting. He said he did not actually shoot [Williams],” Plumb said.

The detective said Bolden gave him Mitchell’s name.