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GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — In a dramatic turn of events, Jordan Allen, who is on trial for the 2022 murders of his 7-year-old brother and grandmother in Greene County, took the witness stand on Thursday.
The trial, now in its fourth day, saw the prosecution wrap up their closing arguments on Thursday morning before the defense called Allen to testify on his own behalf.
For those interested, Allen’s complete testimony is available to view below:
It’s important to note that Allen was just 16 years old when the tragic incident occurred.
While on the stand, Allen claimed he had lied when initially confessing to investigators in 2022 about killing his brother, Jessie Allen, and his grandmother, Sherry Cole. He also refuted allegations that he had any premeditated intent to commit the murders on that fateful day.
Allen claimed he lied because it was easier and because he was afraid of his grandfather, Bill Cole. The defense has alleged throughout the trial that Bill Cole was the person who committed the murder.
During his testimony and the prosecution’s cross-examination, Allen insisted that while he had lied in the past, he was being truthful now. He told the jury that he saw Bill Cole commit the murders.
Allen did admit to the court that Bill Cole had previously never laid a hand on him, his brother or his grandmother. He did claim that Bill Cole would raise his voice at times, but he had not seen any examples of physical violence.
Allen testified that after he witnessed the murders, he left for a friend’s home, then a pizza restaurant, a gas station, and a Walmart. Prosecutors asked if he told anyone while visiting these places that he had seen the murders.
During his cross-examination, prosecutors pressed Allen about his alleged lies and how the details he used when speaking to investigators lined up with autopsy results.
Throughout the cross-examination, Allen repeatedly insisted that he had lied when he told investigators that he had killed his brother and grandmother with a hammer. He also claimed to have lied about moving the bodies of the deceased.
Allen said he was guessing when he told investigators that they would likely find a hammer used in the murders in his bedroom.
When asked directly by prosecutors if he had killed his brother and grandmother, Allen adamantly denied it. Instead, he said he saw his grandfather commit the murders. The prosecutor asked him why his first reaction was to go to a pizza restaurant and purchase headphones from Walmart. Allen responded that it was his way of coping.