Darnell Childs told the jury in Santiago's retrial on murder charges that the defendant made the statement while both men were held in the county jail in July 1985.

Trench was shot and killed in the early morning hours of May 28, 1985, at the corner of 17th and Spring Garden Streets while sitting in a patrol car that had been used earlier by an officer with whom Santiago had clashed. Prosecutors contend Santiago was gunning for the other officer when he shot Trench. No weapon was ever found.

Childs said he had been arrested for a robbery July 4, 1985, and that he met up with Santiago, who had already been arrested in the murder case, in jail some days later.

It was the first time both men had seen each other in about eight months after Childs moved in with his grandmother following a fight with Santiago. Childs said Santiago punched him so hard he needed oral surgery and later pointed a gun wrapped in a towel at him.

In jail, Childs said, the men put their dispute on hold.

"There's a code in jail: If you're from the same neighborhood, you hang together," Childs said.

During one conversation, he testified, Santiago said: "They ain't got nothing on me. They ain't ever going to find the gun."

Earlier yesterday, another jailhouse witness repeated testimony he gave Thursday that Santiago said he "shot the cop."

Howard Long acknowledged that he recanted his statement to two of Santiago's defense lawyers in December 1985 because he was being assaulted in jail for being a snitch.

But when he testified at Santiago's first trial the following July, he stuck to his original statement.

Santiago's defense yesterday sought to portray the switch as being part of a deal Long had with prosecutors for lenient treatment in his robbery case.

Long said that while he hoped his testimony would help him, he had no deal with prosecutors.

The effect of passing time in the trial was highlighted yesterday when defense lawyer Tom McGill Jr. asked Childs if he recalled meeting with two of Santiago's attorneys in the 1980s.

Childs said he did remember meeting with two "young lawyers," but said "no" when he was asked if he saw them in the courtroom.

One of those lawyers was McGill, the other, Bruce Franzel, was sitting next to him at the defense table.

Commons Pleas Court Judge Rene Cardwell Hughes told jurors she expects to give them the case Wednesday.