Accused deputy killer won’t testify in murder trial. He was a ‘model inmate,’ official says

A Crisp County jail official described accused Monroe County deputy killer Christopher Calmer as a “model inmate” Friday as testimony resumed in Calmer’s murder trial.

Calmer faces multiple charges stemming from the Sept. 13, 2014, fatal shooting of Monroe County sheriff’s deputy Michael Norris and the wounding of deputy Jeff Wilson. The deputies had gone to Calmer’s parents’ home after Calmer’s uncle called 911 seeking help because Calmer was suicidal.

Testimony in his trial began Monday and is set to continue next week.

If convicted, Calmer could face the death penalty.

Before bringing in jurors for a fifth day of testimony, the judge asked Calmer if he intends to testify. Calmer said he will not.

Maj. Joseph Arzola testified Friday that Calmer was respectful of deputies and had no disciplinary problems while being held at the jail about 80 miles south of Forsyth for a little more than two years leading up to the trial.

Called to testify by the defense, Arzola detailed the daily activities available to Calmer when questioned by the prosecution.

Besides being allowed an hour outside daily — weather permitting — Calmer received several orders of books.

Calmer also had access to a phone and a computer, where he placed orders from the jail commissary, Arzola said.

While it wasn’t immediately clear why Arzola brought notes pertaining to two of Calmer’s orders, he read details of the orders aloud.

On April 3, 2017, Calmer paid $52.43 for toothpaste, shaving cream, reading glasses, denture tablets, a drink mix, denture adhesive, acetaminophen, 10 postcards, coffee, Little Debbie chocolate cookies, a pad of paper, pens and other items.

Two weeks later he placed an $84.66 order for clothing, ibuprofen, more shaving cream, another 10 postcards, more acetaminophen, coffee and Snickers almond bars.

The orders were placed weeks after Calmer cut himself in the shower in an apparent suicide attempt at the jail. Jurors have not heard about the incident.

Stephen Bunker, an expert in 911 dispatching and police tactics, testified and dissected Calmer’s uncle’s call for help and dispatchers’ response.

While Bunker said the deputies may have reacted differently to Calmer if they’d had more information about what was going on, prosecutors pointed out that Wilson spoke with Calmer’s uncle before going up to the house.

This story was originally published June 9, 2017 at 1:26 PM with the headline "Accused deputy killer won’t testify in murder trial. He was a ‘model inmate,’ official says."