Attorney Claims Not Enough Evidence in Dry Drowning Case|ABC News 4

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Attorney Claims Not Enough Evidence in Dry Drowning Case

12/05/08 5:34 pm | reporter: Renee Williams producer: Renee Williams

search tags: dry drowning • saquan meekins • johnny jackson

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ABC News 4 - Attorney Claims Not Enough Evidence in Dry Drowning Case

Moncks Corner, SC - The case of a Goose Creek boy who died last summer from dry drowning will go to trial. Saquan Meekins is charged with homicide by child abuse in connection with 10 year old Johnny Jackson’s death. Meekins’ attorney says the state does not have enough evidence to keep his client behind bar.

It has been six months since Jackson went swimming in his neighborhood pool. He died hours later.

“I lost my son and I can’t begin to tell you the depths of my pain,” Johnny’s mother, Cassandra says.

Cassandra Jackson is hurt, but is not placing blame. Witnesses say Meekins was tossing and holding Johnny underneath the water but the defense claims that is not true.

“What we’re trying to do is determine the fact they didn’t say what is alleged in the warrant, but they said something to the effect of that. To me, if you’re going to swear out a warrant to somebody you better have the facts or first hand knowledge of what happened,” Attorney Mark Peper says.

Peper says too many questions are still unanswered, but he says he knows the investigation has been tainted.

“We have first hand knowledge that individuals from the Goose Creek Police Department have sought out the coroner and doctors at MUSC and presented them with facts in an attempt to get them to change their medical opinion and cause of death,” Peper added.

The Goose Creek Police Department repeatedly denied that claim.

Meekins will have to stay in jail until his trial. He was given a 50 thousand dollar bond, but his family is unable to pay at this time. No date has been set for his trial.

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