Woman Guilty Of Murdering Man In Windshield Death
Chante Mallard Hit Homeless Man, Drove Home With Him In Windshield
POSTED: 12:20 p.m. EDT June 26, 2003
FORT WORTH, Texas -- A jury in Fort Worth Thursday convicted a woman
of murder after a homeless man died while stuck in her car's
windshield.
Jurors also convicted Chante Mallard of tampering
with evidence.
The Fort Worth woman cast her eyes downward after the verdict
was returned following about one hour of deliberations.
The body of Gregory Biggs was discovered in a Fort Worth park in
October of 2001.
Testimony indicated Mallard struck the man as he walked along a
road, then drove home and parked in her garage -- leaving Biggs in
the windshield.
Experts say Biggs likely would have survived if he had received
immediate medical help.
Mallard was arrested several months later after police received
a tip about the incident being talked about at a party.
She faces up to life in prison.
Mallard never testified. The defense claims the death was a
freak accident.
Earlier, Mallard's attorney asked jurors not to be swayed by sympathy or emotion, or
by media coverage of the case.
Attorney Jeff Kearney conceded that Mallard's failure to
call for help caused the man's death, but he said that's not
murder. He said murder involves an act, not a failure to act.
The defense has said it was an accident, and not murder,
when Mallard hit Gregory Biggs with her car, and then drove home
with his mangled body lodged in the car.
Medical examiners gave just slightly differing accounts, ranging from one to two hours -- of how long Biggs may have lived in the car, parked in the woman's garage. And they differed on whether he was conscious and able to speak to Mallard. But they agreed that he could have survived with medical treatment.
Wednesday, both prosecutors and defense lawyers rested their cases after a battle between medical examiners.
The Tarrant County medical examiner testified for the prosecution, saying that Biggs would have been able to talk after the incident, but would have been in excruciating pain.
That testimony conflicted with the single defense witness -- a Bexar County medical examiner who said Biggs was likely unconscious after his head hit the windshield.
"The windshield usually does not come out ... 200 pounds of pressure, head used as a battering ram out the windshield ... it's going to give you a concussion, it's going to knock you out because a windshield is designed to take such forces," Bexar County Medical Examiner Dr. Vincent Di Maio said.
Mallard, 27, was not called to testify during the trial.
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Medical examiners gave just slightly differing accounts, ranging from one to two hours -- of how long Biggs may have lived in the car, parked in the woman's garage. And they differed on whether he was conscious and able to speak to Mallard. But they agreed that he could have survived with medical treatment.
Wednesday, both prosecutors and defense lawyers rested their cases after a battle between medical examiners.
The Tarrant County medical examiner testified for the prosecution, saying that Biggs would have been able to talk after the incident, but would have been in excruciating pain.
That testimony conflicted with the single defense witness -- a Bexar County medical examiner who said Biggs was likely unconscious after his head hit the windshield.
"The windshield usually does not come out ... 200 pounds of pressure, head used as a battering ram out the windshield ... it's going to give you a concussion, it's going to knock you out because a windshield is designed to take such forces," Bexar County Medical Examiner Dr. Vincent Di Maio said.
Mallard, 27, was not called to testify during the trial.
Previous Stories:
- June 25, 2003: Medical Examiner: Windshield Victim Died 2 Hours Later
- June 24, 2003: Grim Evidence Described In Texas Windshield Trial
- June 23, 2003: Murder Trial Begins In Texas Windshield Death
- June 18, 2003: Jury Selection Starting In Windshield Death Trial
- September 6, 2002: Second Indictment Handed Down In Windshield Killing
- April 25, 2002: Man Dies Stuck In Windshield; Suspect Indicted
- March 9, 2002: Lawyer: Driver Is Not A Monster
- March 7, 2002: Man Lives 2 Days Stuck In Windshield
Copyright 2003 by clickorlando.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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