Elijah Porter’s former girlfriend Ladaisha Baker went toe-to-toe Friday with a Lake County deputy prosecutor, denying any knowledge of what led up to 13-year-old Orie Dodson’s gang-related slaying.
Deputy Prosecutor Tim Brown contradicted her testimony with evidence — including lengthy portions of her recorded police interview and a couple of Instagram Live videos.
Authorities allege she and Dahvee Brunson argued with and threatened Dodson just days before on Instagram Live — an event that directly led to his Feb. 15, 2023 death.
Her testimony came during the fifth day of 18-year-old Kriston Barbee’s murder trial. Porter and Brunson are also charged with murder in Dodson’s death.
Barbee’s trial is expected to wrap on Tuesday.
Baker said she was “on-and-off” with Porter, but dated him at the time of Dodson’s death. He stayed with her in the basement of a home on the 4100 block of Harrison St.
On the two-way Instagram Live video, Baker felt Dodson was disrespecting Julius “Chop” James IV, 24 — a “revered” and “untouchable” figure in the 49th Avenue Boys gang, according to court records. He was gunned down in Gary on Feb. 11, 2019.
On the stand, Baker said James was a “god brother” and like family.
“You don’t know Chop! I promise you, you’ll get seen about,” Baker said to Dodson on the Instagram Live video, according to court records.
Dodson replied, if so, he would have “already been seen,” or retaliated against.
“Bro, you like 13,” she responded, as Brunson agreed.
“You just want to say (expletive) everybody’s gang…you just want to die,” Brunson told Dodson in the video.
“Chop (is) my blood brother,” Baker tells Dodson. “You gone get..smoked. Stop playing!”
“(Expletive) Chop,” Dodson replies.
In court, Baker denied knowing Dodson. How did you know his age, Brown asked.
“I guessed,” she replied.
What did you mean, Dodson would be “seen,” Brown asked.
“I told him I’ll break his fingers,” she replied.
Baker testified for about three hours. At various points, she denied being affiliated with the gang, or knowing several bits of street slang, saying at one point that sliding – a drive-by shooting – meant a man getting with another woman. Or “49th” referenced a school she once attended in Chicago.
“Opps” — known in gang slang as opposition, or rivals — was the “opposite,” she said.
“This is going to be a long morning, Ladaisha,” Brown said during one exchange.
She denied to Brown she was lying for Porter.
In a different Instagram Live video, Dodson flashes gang signs “associated with ‘Eastside’” in the 49th Avenue Boy’s territory, court documents show. Brunson — with Barbee and Porter on the other end — flashes a gun at the camera as if toward Dodson.
“Keep dropping that (expletive), so I can come shoot your momma’s house up,” Brunson tells him.
“LONG LIVE CHOP” and “(expletive) DA OPPS,” appeared as pinned comments under the video from Baker’s account.
On cross-examination, defense lawyer Casey McCloskey asked Baker briefly about her relationship with Porter and Dodson’s reference that she was from the “(Indiana) Harbor” in East Chicago.
“It was just the neighborhood,” she said.
Dodson was found shot dead in front of Gary’s Power & Light Church, located at 1351 Lincoln St.
Earlier in the week, Detective Sgt. Kyel Sopko, a Lake County Sheriff’s crime scene investigator, testified he photographed James’ funeral card in the basement of the same Harrison Street address where testimony showed Porter stayed.
During the investigation, the Lake County Prosecutor’s Homicide Task Force was able to uncover substantial evidence of gang-related crimes involving the 49th Avenue Boys gang including several homicides, drug dealing, illegal firearm possession and sales, and general crimes of violence throughout Lake County.
The task force, consisting of detectives from the Gary Police Department, the Indiana State Police, the Indiana State Excise Police, and the East Chicago Police Department, conducted the investigation, with assistance from the United States Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Indiana.
mcolias@post-trib.com
