Gregory Sterling Retrial: Day One

SALISBURY, Md. – Over an hour of testimony, dozens of pieces of evidence, and one man trying to overturn a life sentence: that’s what happened in courtroom three in Wicomico County on Wednesday as Gregory Sterling’s retrial began. Sterling was convicted in 2018 of attacking Stephen Byrd with a machete.

Sterling’s retrial started with Byrd taking the stand and testifying for nearly two hours.

Byrd told jury members about May 2 of 2016, the day that left him with scars on his entire body.

Byrd explained, in detail, to jurors his relationship with Sterling, a man that Byrd says was homeless and he took in and helped until Sterling could get back on his feet.

But Byrd says he’ll never help anyone again, after Sterling apparently turned on Byrd, attacking him with that machete in what prosecutors described as “a grisly and horrible attack.”

When shown the machete that almost killed him, Byrd got choked up, and told jurors Sterling told him “I’m going to rob you and I’m going to kill you.”

Throughout Byrd’s lengthy testimony, Sterling sat quietly, sometimes shaking his head, even pointing his finger at Byrd periodically.

Byrd, who had trouble walking and getting off and on the witness stand, said one thing he remembers vividly is telling first responders “if I don’t make it, Sterling did this.”