On Stand, Ronald Page’s Son Testifies that Refusal to Give Up Xbox Led to Brother’s Death

Ronald Page‘s son Adrian took the stand Thursday at his father’s murder trial, telling jurors about the argument he had with his father that left his half-brother, Nicholas Ray Satcher, dead.

Adrian Page said that while growing up he had a “good” relationship with his mother and father; Ronald Page provided everything the family needed, Adrian said. About a week before the shooting, Adrian Page was suspended from Spingarn High School, and at the conclusion of his suspension, he decided that he had had enough of school.

On January 5, 2011, the day Adrian was to return to Spingarn, Ronald Page received a call from school officials saying that Adrian did not attend. This frustrated his father, Adrian said; and that evening the two argued in the kitchen.

Ronald Page told his son to hand over his Xbox game system as punishment for not going to school, but Adrian refused “because I paid for it,” he told the court. Then, as Adrian walked away, Ronald Page followed him into the living room, picked up a chair and was about to hit him with it when Nicholas Satcher, Adrian’s half-brother and Page’s step-son, stepped in. Satcher grabbed the chair, pushed Adrian out of the way and told the father and son to calm down.

Adrian, now upset that his father had tried to hit him with a chair, took a swing at Ronald Page.

Page then went into his room and retrieved a gun, Adrian told the jury.

When Ronald Page returned to the living room, he pointed the gun at Adrian, but Satcher stepped between the two and said, “You’re not gonna shoot my brother.”

Page then told Satcher to get out of the way and leave the house; so Satcher walked past Page to a room he and Adrian shared to collect some clothes.

Adrian testified that his father followed Satcher to the room; moments later there was a gunshot. “All I heard was my brother scream,” he said.

The defense says the shooting was accidental.

Dr. Pamela Southall, a forensic pathologist, testified Thursday that Satcher suffered two gunshot wounds: one to his left forearm and one to his left chest. Prosecutors believe a single bullet is responsible for both wounds. Southall said the bullet perforated Satcher’s heart and aorta, and then penetrated his spine. There was “no evidence of close range firing,” she said.

Daniel Barrett, a forensic firearms examiner, testified that the 1911 Colt .45 caliber handgun used to murder Satcher had several safety features “equal to or greater than the average pistol.”

“In order to fire the gun, you’d have to grip the gun handle hard enough to disengage the grip safety and then pull the trigger,” Barrett said.

The trial is scheduled to resume Monday morning in Judge Russell Canan’s courtroom.

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