Woman denies involvement in Neal murder
On last night’s newscast she was described by her own relatives as nothing less than a liar, schemer and perhaps even a killer. But today, Cherrymae Howard, the woman whose court testimony sent her cousin to jail for twenty years and allegedly arranged to have another cousin killed after he beat her, told Channel 5 that she is an innocent victim. Beaten repeatedly by Rodwell “Burger” Neal and threatened by his family, Cherrymae says that even though Burger tried to kill her and left her with a bruised face, she had nothing to do with his recent demise.
Stewart Krohn
“So what do you know about the shooting death of “Burger”?
Cherrymae Howard
“I don’t really quiet know.”
So says Cherrymae Howard, the woman the Neal family says conspired to have their son Rodwell “Burger” Neal murdered in broad daylight on Sunday. Howard was nowhere to be found yesterday, however, she visited News 5 to tell her side of the story this morning… beginning with her testimony in the murder trial Rodwell Neal’s brother, Sydney.
Cherrymae Howard
“The lawyer asked me what did Sydney tell me. I told him stabbed the guy three times.”
Stewart Krohn
“Did you actually see…?”
Cherrymae Howard
“Yes, I saw.”
Stewart Krohn
“Going back to that case of the murder, you were a witness in court, you said that you actually saw the…”
Cherrymae Howard
I actually saw because the knife was so bent up no screws were in there.”
Stewart Krohn
“Ever since you knew you were going to testify how did “Burger” go on with you?”
Cherrymae Howard
“He stopped talking to me. He started treating me like he wanted to hurt me. If he could have killed me there and then, he would have done it before I went to court.”
Stewart Krohn
“Let us assume that what you’re telling us is fact, that “Burger” treated you badly and hit you and all that. Did you then go and get your boyfriend to try and kill “Burger?”
Cherrymae Howard
“No, that’s a lie. I went to the police. They have all the reports right there.”
Stewart Krohn
“You don’t know anything about the murder?”
Cherrymae Howard
“No, nothing.”
Eyewitness and Neal’s next door neighbour Michelle Milligan begs to disagree.
Michelle Milligan
“I saw the shooter come in after “Burger” who had his back turned to the door. The shooter came in and fired five shots. He fired the first three and closed the door behind him and fired the next two. Then he ran through this alley here with his girlfriend and they left.”
And when they left, Milligan was also left with ambivalent feelings.
Michelle Milligan
“I don’t really want to say anything. I don’t want to jeopardise my life.”
Q: What did the guy say to you?”
Michelle Milligan
“He said if I said anything I will be next.”
Cherrymae Howard told News 5 that she has been threatened with death and as a result has moved to a house in a different neighbourhood. Contrary to his family’s contention that Rodwell “Burger” Neal was a model citizen, Howard claims that he was disliked by many people for his violent ways and in fact once shot at her with a sawed off shotgun… but missed.
