Murder accused Robert Blair Tucker told Police officers he was the one who fatally stabbed Stanley Lee on being shown a picture of the American ex-convict, a Supreme Court jury heard yesterday.

Veteran Det. Sgt. Terrance Maxwell took the stand in the trial of Tucker, James Alan (Spooks) Dill and Terranz (Monster) Smith, who have all denied killing the 41 year old, who was known to authorities in New York state as Sean Russells.

The ten-woman, two-man jury was again shown a butcher block that was seized during a search and which the defendant identified to Police as the one from which he had taken the murder weapon. Asked what it was by Det. Sgt. Maxwell, Tucker was recorded as saying: ?That?s from my mamma?s house. The knife I used to stab Sean came from that hole.?

Mr. Lee?s decomposed body was found at Lagoon Park near Dockyard on August 9, 2001 after lying undiscovered since July 28. Det. Sgt. Maxwell told the court how he had engaged in a reconstruction interview at Admiralty Park, Pembroke with Tucker on August 14, a few days after he was arrested on August 9.

There, the detective said, Tucker pointed out where he threw the knife. Det. Sgt. Maxwell had earlier read out a statement in which Tucker had described his dealings with Mr. Lee during the days leading up to July 28. The statement detailed the relationship between Tucker, who said he was the ?middle man? for drug deals, and Mr. Lee, who arrived on July 6 after being sent over by Tucker?s ?drug connection in America?, known as ?Fats?.

A shipment of ?cane? (cocaine) was brought into the Island by a courier, who Tucker described to Police as having ?yellow skin, short hair, glasses. He looks like a nerd. The kind of guy you wouldn?t suspect?.

On examination the bag of drugs turned out to be ?no good?, Tucker said. Because of it this is was impossible for the men to sell it on the streets.

?It was garbage. It was putting me in problems,? said Tucker to Police. ?(Me and Mr. Lee) had a long talk. He said he really needed money but I told him his product was no good. He was getting irritated.?

He added that he was concerned about getting Mr. Lee off the Island because of what he had heard speaking on the phone to contacts in the United States. ?I tried to get (Mr. Lee) out on AA (American Airlines)... I wanted to get him out of Bermuda because I feared for his and my life.?

Tucker said he sat with Mr. Lee after stopping at Boaz Island gas station in Sandys.

?I took Sean up the street a little further and stopped by the picnic table. I sat with him for about 15 minutes. I didn?t want it to happen. I liked the guy.?

Tucker told Police: ?Sean said, ?This is pretty, man. I see God here?. The last thing he said to me. I left him sitting there. I went back to town and me and Spooks went for a swim at Ducking Stool.?

Later on, Tucker said he told Smith regarding Mr. Lee: ?He?s resting real comfortable. Trust me.?

Then he described to Police how he took Smith up to Lagoon Park to see the body.

Tucker said he let Smith go up into the bushes with a flashlight and saw him return with a blue cellphone, similar to one that had belonged to Mr. Lee.

And a few days later, Tucker said Smith told him: ?I?m going to show the man (the Police) that thing. I?ve got in a jam. I?m going to cut a deal with them.?

The trial continues today before Puisne Judge Norma Wade Miller.

Tuesday?s story on the trial said Det. Sgt. Jerry Laws admitted Police officers were tired following a series of long interviews with Tucker. In fact, Det. Sgt. Laws denied this when the suggestion was put to him during cross-examination.