Witness in Oklahoma City murder trial says testimony was not swayed

But Eric P. Thrower denied being told what to say by Phil Ingersoll, the father of shooting victim Jonathan Phillip Ingersoll, 21.

Phil Ingersoll is a former Oklahoma City School District athletic director who won five state basketball championships as a coach at Douglass and Northeast high schools.

Jonathan Ingersoll died March 22, 2009, from a gunshot wound to the head. He and Thrower were riding in a car on N MacArthur Boulevard near NW 23 when another vehicle pulled alongside and a person inside fired into the car, police said.

Thrower testified calling the victim's father Tuesday “to see how court was going.”

Thrower said Ingersoll told him to “tell the truth.”

But the attorney representing defendant Kenneth Wayne Thompson III, accused Thrower of lying about his conversation with Phil Ingersoll.

“He told you you needed to identify Mr. Thompson this morning, didn't he?” defense attorney Redmond Kemether asked Thrower.

“No,” Thrower said.

Earlier Wednesday, Thrower identified Thompson as the driver of the car, a day after testifying he didn't see who was driving or who fired the fatal shot.

“Why didn't you sit there and tell the truth yesterday?” Kemether asked the witness.