VIDALIA, La. – Judge Leo Boothe on Wednesday denied four motions filed by the attorney of a man accused of fatally shooting a fellow Wildsville resident in late January 1999.

One motion filed by attorney Joel Higgins would have delayed the trial the second-degree murder trial of Harry Edwards, which is still scheduled to start Monday morning in Seventh Judicial District Court.

According to Sheriff Randy Maxwell, Edwards, 45, of 124 Beard Road in Wildsville, allegedly shot Whitehead in the head with a .44-caliber pistol following an argument over a small amount of deer meat and raccoon hides.

In a trial of motions held Wednesday, Higgins said he planned to argue Whitehead was high on crack cocaine at the time of incident and pointed a gun at Edwards, and that Edwards shot Whitehead in self-defense. But Boothe also denied a motion to allow information on Whitehead’s alleged drug use to be given to the jury during the trial.

He also denied motions that have required that a scientific blood analysis be done and that &uot;opinion evidence&uot; be excluded.

The only witness the state expects to call who might give such testimony would be Mississippi state Medical Examiner Steve Haynes, said Assistant District Attorney Madaline Gibbs.

Boothe said he would rule by Friday on whether he will grant a motion to suppress statements Edwards allegedly gave before his Miranda rights were read.

Gibbs argued that at the time Edwards gave the statement, sheriff’s Deputy Delaune Bush was still trying to determine what had happened and whether anyone was injured.

&uot;It was a pre-arrest situation,&uot; Gibbs said.

&uot;(Edwards) had already called the sheriff’s office and said. &uot;I shot someone,’&uot;&160;Higgins said in response. &uot;He was already a suspect.&uot;