Rodney was asleep at home.
Two alibi witnesses, Rodney’s mother and uncle, placed him at home asleep during the night of the murder. Both of them testified at his trial, but their statements were ignored.
Timeline of the Crime
8:30 - 11:00 PM, Dec. 13, 1994
Patrick Cassidy and Steven Kurek went to J.B.’s Cafe on Route 3 in West Chester, PA.
11:30 PM
After consuming several drinks, Cassidy returns home to finish up some work.
3:45 - 4:00 AM, Dec. 14th, 1994
Cassidy’s wife, Deene, wakes to find Cassidy pulling away from their home in Exton. She found this to be strange and had no knowledge of where he was headed.
Patrick only took $600 in cash with him, leaving his ID and pager at home.
5:00 AM
William Penn Housing Project resident Mark Harris was sitting on his front steps when he saw Cassidy arrive outside of the residence in a silver 1983 Datsun Sentra. He said Cassidy rolled down the window and waived a bill to flag a dealer selling cocaine.
5:00 - 5:05 AM
Mark Harris identified Rodney Derrickson as the individual who approached the car. From the front steps, Harris allegedly saw Derrickson demand the $100 bill from Cassidy. When he refused, Harris claims that Derrickson reached into the car, removed the key from the ignition, and fired two shots from the driver’s side window.
5:00 - 5:05 AM
Harris’ father, Jackie Sr., claims to have witnessed the entire encounter from his living room window, also stating that Rodney Derrickson was present at the scene.
Mark Harris offered to sell marijuana, but Cassidy declined.Even though Rodney requested to have the car keys tested for fingerprints, which would have been present had he committed the crime, they went "missing" before the first hearing. Additionally, the expert ballistics report found no evidence of a close-range shooting.Jackie Harris (Sr.) was known to collaborate with the police for information on persons of interest in the area. When interviewed the morning of the crime, Harris Sr. stated that he was facing away from the window and did not witness the shooting. Only 28 hours later, after speaking with the CID and his son, he revised his statement, saying that he had personally seen Derrickson commit the crime.Mark Harris also confessed to a confidant that his statement was coerced by the CID.
5:05 - 5:10 AM
At this point, the victim grabbed the keys, turned the car back on, and drove away quickly, crashing into another car down the street.
5:10 - 5:15 AM
A neighbor, Frank Richardson, supposedly saw Rodney and Mark walking away from the house, with Rodney repeatedly saying “I shot him in the leg.”
5:30 AM
Harris (Sr.) allegedly drove Rodney home for $5, and he claims that Rodney disposed of the bullets on the corner of 7th and Parker.
There were no skid marks on the road where the car supposedly sped away.The victim was shot in the arm and the chest, not the leg.Two spent .22 cartridge casings were found at the intersection of 6th and Parker, but the murder weapon was never recovered. The type of bullet did not match Harris Sr.'s description of the gun and Rodney was never found with any .22 caliber weapon.
6:00 - 7:00 AM
Chester PD arrive at the scene and interview neighbors and potential witnesses.
Early Evening
Linda Harris (wife of Jackie and mother of Mark) alleges that Rodney appeared at their residence, asking to speak to Mark; Linda opens the door but tells him Mark is not home and he leaves peacefully.
11:00 PM - 12:00 AM, Dec. 15, 1994
Rodney returns to the Harris residence, again requesting to speak with Mark. No one answers, and Rodney leaves peacefully.
When Rodney appeared at the Harris residence, he did not seem angry or vengeful, only confused and concerned.