The crime started outside a package (liquor) store and ended in a nearby Burger King parking lot in Savannah, Georgia.  This overhead image captures both locations.

Sylvester “Redd” Coles, a neighborhood thug known to carry a .38 revolver, started harassing a homeless man, Larry Young, for his recently-purchased beer.  When Young refused, Redd became angry and pursued him (Redd's pursuit of Young depicted by white line in the linked image) from the liquor store to the Burger King parking lot where Redd threatened to shoot Young.  Within seconds, Young was pistol whipped and MacPhail was shot.  Two other black men - Troy Davis and Darrell "DD" Collins - were in the Burger King parking lot at the time of Young's assault, but all witnesses agreed that neither spoke a word to Young during Redd's rampage.

The undisputed facts in the record show that:

• Redd started the fight.
• Redd was known to carry a .38 revolver.
• Redd threatened Young “You don’t know me.  I’ll shoot you.”
• Within seconds of Redd’s threat, Young was pistol whipped and MacPhail was shot.
• Davis and Collins never said a word to Young.
• Redd was the only one with a motive to pistol whip Young and shoot MacPhail.

Undisputed Viewing Conditions:  This sudden unexpected murder occurred within seconds of an assault of a homeless man in a dimly-lit Burger King parking lot late at night and was witnessed by five strangers who were operating under the stress of being in the line of fire.   (See Google Earth Diagram.)

It was dark.

At the time of shooting the Burger King was closed and its exterior lights were turned off.  According to Leo Bishop, Burger King’s manager, there was enough light so that “you’re not going to walk into anything or trip over anything.” But it was too dark for Bishop to recognize the familiar officer in the parking lot until Bishop moved close enough (10-15 feet away) and could see MacPhail’s uniform.  The shooting occurred in “the worst area in the parking lot,” as the only source of light – a street light on the corner - was blocked by a large tree located directly underneath it. According to Young, “I couldn’t see, you, it was just dark, right the particular spot we were standing.”

The assault and shooting lasted only a few seconds.

The assault of Young is what first captured the attention of the stranger eyewitnesses. MacPhail was shot within seconds of that assault. The shooter fled immediately. See D.A. Spencer Lawton’s opening statement, at T. 676-677 (“What is known is that almost instantaneously” as Young was hit, Davis, Collins, and Redd ran.  “Officer McPhail (sic) saw them running, and he gave chase.”).  The entire incident, as described by witness Daniel Kinsman, was “over as soon as it began.”