on March 11, 2005, a SWAT team of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) kicked in Bailey's door and arrested him for murder. According to Bailey, when the officers took him to the police station, the defendant was already there. At first, Bailey denied knowing about the murder but conceded that he shot the victim when confronted with the information that the defendant had already related the events of Ms. Mehrtens murder. Bailey admitted that he pleaded guilty to first degree murder, but insisted that he had made no deal with the State prior to pleading guilty. He testified that he had earlier refused to testify at the defendant's trial, but changed his mind the day before trial began.
On cross-examination, Bailey admitted that he was the person whoshot the victim and that he pleaded guilty in order to receive a life sentence. He testified that when he arrived at the police station, the officers did not advise him of his rights. He stated that he thought he had "gotten away with it" until the officers told him what the defendant had said. He insisted that the officers handcuffed him in his chair, hit him in the face, put a gun in his mouth, and threatened to kill him. He stated that the officers stopped beating him when he admitted that he had killed the victim. He admitted, however, that he never told the prosecutors that the officers beat him. On redirect examination, Bailey stated that he truthfully told the officers that he was the triggerman,