ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — During the third and fourth days of the trial against Armand Cannon, one of three suspects involved in the deadly Moline car crash in 2019, prosecutors released video footage from the day of the accident.
On Wednesday, May 11, prosecutors pulled police bodycam footage from the accident. The footage showed all three suspects: Armand Cannon, Alexander Garrels and Amy Taylor after the collision.
Both Cannon and Garrles fled the scene – Cannon was almost immediately caught, while Garrels was found later on hiding in a residential shed. Taylor is seen sitting in the middle of the road next to the crushed van.
Witnesses told surrounding officers that they saw Taylor exit through the driver’s side of the van.
During Wednesday's trial, officer Tyler Hoogerwerf took the stand. He said though Taylor told him she was not the one driving the van at the time of the crash, he did not believe her due to the way she exited the vehicle.
It wasn't until police checked the stolen van that they noticed the back seat had flown forward during the collision. Police discovered multiple firearms, ammunition, methamphetamines and needles inside the van.
Hoogerwerf said Taylor's purse was located in the backseat of the van with multiple needles inside of it.
On Thursday, May 12, prosecutors called to the stand one of the detectives who conducted Cannon’s first in-custody interview, Dan Beaudry.
Beaudry admitted that at the time of Cannon’s interview, he believed Garrels was the driver. He said he made the assumption after he asked Taylor who was driving the van.
“You were in the hospital room with Amy Taylor?” the prosecutor asked Beaudry.
"That's correct,” Beaudry answered.
“And you had testified you heard her say, the 'blonde one'?” the prosecutor asked.
“Yes,” Beaudry answered.
"The blonde one" is regarding Garrels, who has been described as the "shaggy blonde male" by multiple witnesses who testified.
Beaudry said it wasn’t until he reviewed the bodycam footage that he realized, he missed the second half of Taylor’s statement. Taylor continued after stating “the blonde one," saying, “the blonde one … started out driving, and they switched. So I guess it was the other guy.”
Taylor testified that Garrels started off driving but became nervous after police started following them. That's when Taylor says Garrels and Cannon switched places, and Cannon began driving.
According to Taylor, Cannon was still driving when they crashed into Tammy Loos and her fiancé at the intersection.
Beaudry entered Cannon’s interview with the idea Garrels was the driver. During Thursday's testimony, he stated that he would have conducted the interview differently if he knew the second half of Taylor's statement.
The bodycam footage captured Cannon's interview with the two detectives. Cannon told detectives Taylor was in the back while he was in the passenger seat. He would not confirm if Garrels was in the driver's seat, though he was the only other one besides the two inside of the van.
“Why won’t you tell us who was driving is this guy like your family?” one of the detectives asked Cannon during the interview. Cannon refused to reply.
“Would you want someone to pay the price for killing your family member?” asked Beaudry.
Cannon replied, “There isn't really a price. It's priceless. I've lost family members … really close family members. There is no justice for that. There is no amount of jail time.”
The detective cut Cannon off, asking “Is there anyone in this world that you really love?”
Cannon replied, “Not really anymore, no."
Closing arguments are set to begin at 9 a.m. Friday, May 13 at the Rock Island County Courthouse.