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Gray found not
guilty by judge
By Jan LaValley
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
After a day-long trial in Rappahannock’s Circuit Court, Judge Shore Robertson found David Austin Gray not guilty of the charge of grand larceny.
Gray had been charged with the theft of a three-wheeler and an undetermined number of Dale Ernhardt collector’s cars belonging to Anthony Christopher Caporaletti on May 19, 1996. Gray has maintained his innocence since charges were brought against him last year.
Gray, Caporaletti and Joseph Bryan Ratliff were living in a house on Herman Judy Lane in Viewton. Caporaletti, who had the lease, decided to move out and did not give much notice to his roommates. He testified that he had made an agreement with the landlady to put in carpet in ' lieu of paying the last month’s rent. However, he still collected Gray’s and Ratliff’s share of the rent from them.
The landlady came to the house toward the end of May and told Gray, the only one there at the time, that the rent had not been paid and that she knew nothing of the agreement about the carpet. Gray paid the entire month’s rent. The rent plus the portion of the rent he had paid already came to $950.
Caporaletti said he believes Gray took the three-wheeler and the cars to sell in order to get back money he felt was owed him. Ratliff, who Caporaletti also said took some of the car collection, was found guilty last summer of grand larceny and made restitution. Ratliff testified that Gray took the other part of the collection, which has never been recovered. Ratliff was never charged with the theft of the three-wheeler.
Witnesses for both sides spoke and there was discrepancy over dates and times surrounding the alleged larceny.
Witnesses for the prosecution all told the same story — they had seen the threewheeler on a state truck that Gray brought to the house to move his furniture. Ratliff said Gray had the rest of the car collection boxed up and took it from the house.
Defense witnesses said Gray never had the car collection. One defense witness said he went with Gray to move his furniture,
See COURT, Page A2
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