As he navigated the hour-long police interrogation, 14-year-old Reginald Lofton's story continued to evolve.

First, he was asleep when the robbery happened, when the Papa John's delivery driver was shot and killed a few buildings over in his Lawrenceville-area apartment complex.

Then, picking at his fingernails and scratching at his dreadlocks, the teen told the detectives he knew nothing about the incident, but that he'd been standing in a nearby breezeway, heard the gunshot and fled.

Finally, he described the incident in detail: His friend, Jermaine Young, called for the pizza, put on all black clothing and departed to "poke" the delivery driver.

Lofton claimed he watched part of the robbery, heard a "boom" and scooped up the pizza afterward, but said he didn't plan it or participate.

"I swear to God on my momma's grave," he told the detective. "I don't know why he shot that man."

On Thursday, Day 3 of testimony in Lofton's trial, jurors watched it all in a video of the teen's interview with Investigator Matthew Kenck.

Lofton has been charged as an adult in the March 1 killing of 28-year-old Shane Varnadore, and is facing counts of murder, felony murder, armed robbery and aggravated assault. Authorities believe he and Young (who has not yet been tried) made repeated calls to the Cruse Road Papa John's where Varnadore worked, ordering food to lure him to the Wesley Herrington Apartments, where both Chicago natives lived with Lofton's sister.

At some point, Varnadore was shot once in the chest and killed.

Authorities and prosecutors have openly admitted throughout this week's trial that they don't know who fired the gun, but that it doesn't matter — both were involved in the robbery and, under Georgia's party to the crime laws, are equally responsible.

That fact appeared to slowly dawn on Lofton during his interview with police.

"I wanna know, like, who fixin' to go down for this?" he asked the detective early on, wriggling in his royal blue sweatshirt.

Several minutes later: "I got a feeling that if I tell y’all the truth I’m still gonna get locked up."

As the interview ended: "So I ain't going home?"

Closing arguments are expected to take place Thursday afternoon.

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Laurence Walker, a volunteer with the Cajun Navy Relief, left, takes two volunteers out on his boat on Lake Oconee to search for Gary Jones, Tuesday, February, 18, 2025, in Eatonton, Ga. The Putnam County sheriff is investigating and searching after Spelman College instructor Joycelyn Nicole Wilson and an Atlanta private school coach Gary Jones went missing on Lake Oconee over a week ago, Saturday Feb. 8th. The body of Wilson was found Sunday, Feb. 9th and Jones has not been found. (Jason Getz / AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com