Shooting victim describes how New Year’s party turned deadly during first day of murder trial

PEORIA (25News Now) - A Peoria man, accused of killing two women early on New Year’s Day of last year, is fighting for his freedom in a local courtroom.

The two shootings happened just hours apart in 2022 leading to separate murder trials for Robert White.

He is accused of shooting a couple on New Years Day 2022. The woman, 33-year-old Daniela Jackson, was killed. Just hours later, White became the suspect in another murder. He’ll be tried later for that crime.

The trial began Tuesday morning with testimony from surviving shooting victim Levi Conway, who is described as Jackson’s close friend in her obituary, but he said at trial they were married.

Conway recounted the moments leading up to the woman’s death.

He testified there were a couple of family members, along with White, drinking and smoking to ring in the new year.

After visiting a downtown bar, they went back to Levi’s house and continued to celebrate.

Multiple witnesses testified that White then made a sexually suggestive comment to two women which led to an argument. and White pulled out a gun from his waistband.

The witnesses all said the party ended at this moment, they left the apartment, while White went back inside the couple’s home.

Levi Conway testified that White “looked me dead in the eye and shot me and then my wife.”

Jurors heard the frantic 911 call Levi made while he was on the floor with his wife Daniela. The coroner said she died within minutes of being shot in the abdomen.

Court ended Tuesday with testimony from a forensic scientist who said all of the shots came from the same gun.

Prosecutors and the defense believe this case will be wrapped before the end of the week.

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