Witness says she did not see the gun in 2008 killing

Clifshell Stevenson told a judge on Tuesday that she did not see Roberto Wynn fire a gun in a 2008 drive-by shooting.

Stevenson, 30, appeared in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court for an evidentiary hearing. She testified that her initial identification of Wynn was not truthful. "I did not see him fire a gun," she said. She stated that she actually saw him running for cover.

Stevenson was 13 years old when she first testified. She said she felt pressure from Cleveland police and a family member to name Wynn. She expressed guilt over her past statements. "I just feel like my spirit been under attack since this all transpired," she said.

Wynn was convicted of fatally shooting Christopher Basie on Parmelee Avenue. Cuyahoga prosecutors argue that three other witnesses provided similar stories identifying Wynn as the shooter. They contend that Stevenson is not a credible witness. Judge Jeffrey Saffold said he will review all available evidence. He will rule on whether Wynn should receive a new trial.

Wynn has waited more than two years for a decision on his motion. The Ohio Innocence Project filed a motion in 2024 to present the evidence. The request sat on Judge Saffold's docket for over two years. The judge granted Wynn's attorney permission to file for a new trial in July. This action followed an attorney conference and a local news investigation into the delay.

Stevenson signed a letter in 2022 recanting her testimony. In the letter, she wrote that she blamed Wynn for a shooting he did not commit. She stated she was sure he did not have a gun. "I look at it as my prayers has been answered," Carla Butler, Wynn's mother, said.

Michael Donnelly, a former Cuyahoga County Common Pleas judge, said delays in innocence cases are common. He described the issue as a systemic problem. "Unfortunately, delays are very common," Donnelly said. He noted that safeguards like the right to a speedy trial do not exist in post-conviction proceedings. A proposed state law, H.B. 177, would require judges to hold hearings when credible new evidence emerges. The bill was introduced in March 2025 but has not received a hearing.