Jury looking at evidence discovers apparent crack cocaine

Newsday

CAMDEN, N.J. -- A jury looking at the bloodied coat of the victim in an attempted murder trial found something authorities didn't notice: 30 bags of what appeared to be crack cocaine.

Deliberations were stopped in the trial after the surprising discovery on Thursday. They are scheduled to resume on Tuesday.

The trial in state Superior Court in Camden is for Charles Gould, 25, who is accused of shooting Dwaun Drayton on Dec. 2, 2003. But the story has been Drayton.

One night after jury selection last month, he was shot in the hand in what Camden police described as an ambush. On the witness stand later, he told the jury that the shooting was a response to a question asked by his defense attorney, Winston Extavour, during jury selection.

Then there was the treasure trove in the lining of his jacket. Before the jury found the apparent crack, which would have a street value around $300, prosecutors found in the jacket a credit card bearing the name of someone other than Drayton, a watch, car keys, a toothbrush and other items.