Alleged accomplice may be star witness

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) - The teen who police say led them to the body of 5-year-old Isabella Tennant may prove to be the prosecution's star witness against 16-year-old John Freeman.

Police say they were able to find Bella's body with the help of 18-year-old Tyler Best, who authorities say helped move Bella's body after Freeman allegedly strangled her with his bare hands.

Police have not shared what kind of physical evidence they gathered at the scene of the crime or at the spot they found the little girl's body. But former Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark believes Best will be an important part of the prosecution's case.

"If you have the person who they think helped the primary defendant hide the body, if you get that person to testify against the defendant, that's enough in and of itself to warrant conviction," Clark said.

Best currently faces a charge of tampering with evidence, a felony punishable by 16 months to four years in prison. But Clark believes if Best helps the Niagara County D.A. convict Freeman, he could get a plea bargain.

The Niagara County Coroner ruled Bella's cause of death asphyxiation from mechanical obstruction of airway and compression of neck. Clark interprets the compression of neck to mean strangulation. And says this about the mechanical obstruction:

"What it means to me is that something must have been placed in her airway to prevent her from breathing," Clark noted.

Police say Freeman killed Bella with his bare hands.

In their first court appearance we saw a few hints of how the court cases of John Freeman and Tyler Best will proceed. Freeman's lawyer said he will challenge his client's alleged confession.

"It's my understanding the people's case for the most part rests on a reported statement given by my client," defense attorney Robert Viola said.

If Freeman fights the charge of second degree murder, Clark believes there are three things he might claim. First, that he never knew Isabella Tennant was ever in danger in the first place. Second:

"He could say the accomplice is actually the person who did it. Or if he implicates himself at all he could say it was not an intentional act. It was an unintentional act," Clark explained.

The Niagara County Coroner wouldn't comment whether anything was put in Bella's mouth. But she did tell News 4 on Wednesday she found no signs of sexual abuse.