Giovanni's Story

I interviewed Giovanni Reid for his side of the story - a story that the jury never got a chance to hear because he was never put on the stand to testify in his own behalf . Reid's version helps to clear up why the government's own witnesses could not place him near the victim when he was shot. Reid's story is diametrically different from the picture painted by lead prosecutor, Michael McGovern, of six depraved Black males roaming around looking for someone to rob, or in street slang, looking to "get paid ". McGovern sketched a delusional, frightening picture of six Black males, all without a conscience roaming around the city of Philadelphia in search of someone to rob. And, if that weren't enough, court transcripts also show that three of them were drawn toting guns.

According to Giovanni Reid, on that early August morning in 1991, he, Dajuan, Richard, and Tyrone had just left "Tyrone's mother's house" to walk to a nearby IHOP Restaurant. (For purposes of clarity, from this point on, I will refer to Tyrone's mother's house as Richard and Tyrone's house, since the brothers lived in the same house with their mother.) While on their way there, they encountered Dajuan's cousins - Dwayne and Carlton Bennett. After Dwayne inquired of Dajuan where the four of them were going, he then invited himself and Carlton to join them. Reid told me that "Dwayne kept expressing his desire to rob someone; and on two occasions, attempted to approach someone with the intentions of doing just that; and on both occasions we all stopped him from doing it." (This corroborates what Richard King said in his statement to police: "Wayne kept talking about how he wanted to get paid, and we were saying, "no," but he said he wanted some money, he kept talking about it all the way." Dwayne is sometimes called "Wayne" by his peers.)

Reid said that on the walk home, Dwayne's attitude had not changed in that he continued to express his desire to rob someone. (Days later, Tyrone Mackey would tell a homicide detective a frightening story about how Dwayne had earlier targeted a cab driver to try and rob. This happened at Eighteenth Street between Chestnut and Market Streets. He said that Dwayne actually stood in the middle of the street talking to the driver, all the while hoping that he could get one of them to join him in executing his plan. Tyrone Mackey said that Dwayne changed his mind when everyone ignored him and kept walking. Mackey would also cite two other incidents for the detective.)

Walking southbound on the narrow sidewalk of Seventeenth Street in a bunch, Reid said that they instinctively broke up into two sets of threes. He said that he was in the second group with two of the three cousins (Carlton and the confessed killer, Dwayne); and that the third cousin walked ahead of them with brothers, Tyrone and Richard. Next, he recalled how he and Carlton had been engrossed in conversation as they passed by Mr. Janke (the victim) while he was at the phone booth. He said that about a half a block separated his party from the first group.

While he was strolling down the street conversing with Carlton , he said that unbeknownst to both of them, Dwayne had dropped back from walking alongside of them. (Days later, Tyrone Mackey mentioned to a homicide detective during his interview, that Dwayne always seemed to lag behind the group. He said, "Wayne would stay behind us, always looking around.") Reid told me that he came to realize Dwayne was no longer walking alongside of them when he heard the confessed killer "arguing with someone." He told me that he stopped and turned around only to find Dwayne "messing with this guy; so I stopped and told Carlton to get his cousin."

Reid said that Richard, who had been walking ahead of him in the first bunch and was unaware of what was going on, just happened to look back at that crucial moment and call out to him to "come on." (This minor detail is corroborated in Richard King's police statement where he mentions calling out to Reid to "come on." Could King have meant that as in, "Come on and catch up with us?") Continuing, Reid said that he and Carlton ignored Richard so that they could make an attempt to get Dwayne to leave Mr. Janke alone. Unfortunately, he said that just as Carlton took a couple of steps toward his cousin Dwayne, is when Dwayne pulled out a gun and shot Mr. Janke execution style.