Victim’s Girlfriend Says She Overheard Death Threat Eaves, Andrews Argued At Restaurant, Witness Testifies

The Spokane man accused of two execution-style slayings shouted a death threat at one of the victims shortly before the shootings, a witness testified Tuesday.

Days before Larry Eaves’ body was found in a car near Browne’s Addition, Joseph Andrews yelled at him, “Pay up or you’re dead,” according to Eaves’ girlfriend, Shawn McClanahan.

McClanahan’s testimony is important to the prosecution because there is virtually no physical evidence tying Andrews to the crime scene, and only one witness so far has named the defendant as the killer.

Charged with two counts of aggravated murder, Andrews, 26, faces a possible death sentence if convicted of gunning down Eaves and his companion, Eloise “Cissy” Patrick on Feb. 19, 1994.

Each victim was shot three times in the head as they sat in the front seat of Patrick’s car early that morning.

Andrews’ former girlfriend, Tarry Green, told jurors last week that Andrews killed Eaves out of anger and shot Patrick to conceal that murder.

Prosecutors say Andrews, an admitted drug dealer, shot Eaves because he owed Andrews about $1,000 for drugs.

Andrews insists he didn’t commit the murders. His attorneys accused Green of lying about the shootings to avoid prosecution.

McClanahan testified she was living with Eaves at the time of the killings. She said he smoked large quantities of crack cocaine and owed money to Andrews and other drug dealers.

A week before the murders, she said she was at Chan’s Dragon Inn on West Third when a heated argument flared between Andrews and Eaves.

A friend, wanting to protect McClanahan, pushed her into a hallway, the witness said.

But as she was leaving the main room, she said she heard Andrews, whom she barely knew, yell the death threat.

About that time, Eaves began fearing for his safety, McClanahan said, handing her his address book. “If anything happens, these are names of people to contact,” she said he told her.

During cross-examination by defense attorney Kevin Curtis, McClanahan admitted being “very strung out” on heroin in early 1994.

In other testimony Tuesday, a fingerprint expert said a search of Patrick’s car yielded no matches with Andrews.

A Washington State Patrol forensic analyst said he analyzed 23 cigarette butts found inside the car, none of which turned out to be Camels - the brand Andrews supposedly smokes.

Deputy Prosecutor Dannette Allen said the prosecution may rest today. Defense attorneys are expected to spend about a week presenting their case.

, DataTimes