During the Dr. Nichopoulos trial in 1981, Billy Smith testified as to the following (edited for clarity):
James Neal (Nichopoulos Defense Attorney): During the last period you were with Mr. Presley, I understand that…you were there from 1961 to 1968, you were there for a couple of months around the end of 1970, but then…1975 to 1977, is that correct?
Billy Smith: Yes, sir.
Neal: Seventy-five to seventy-seven, were you there on occasions when Dr. Nichopoulos would, uh, give Mr. Presley a shot?
Smith: Yes, sir.
Neal: Now I’m gonna ask you, sir, what would Dr. Nichopoulos do on those occasions?
Smith: Well, sir, on most occasions, uh, if he could, uh, if it was something he was not sure about, something he didn’t prescribe for Elvis or something, like I say, he was not sure of, if he could he would always catch it with his back turned and squirt whatever it was in the needle out.
Neal: Out where?
Smith: Just on the floor, behind him anywhere that would hit downward and, uh, then he would go ahead and [act] like he was giving him a shot.
Neal: And then he’d go ahead and put the needle in?
Smith: Yes, sir.
Neal: Mr. Presley would not be looking, he’d have his back turned, you say?
Smith: On most occasions, yes, sir.
Neal: Alright. Now suppose it was something that Dr. Nichopoulos had prepared, what would that be?
Smith: Well, sir, I don’t know what you’d call it but, uh, I do know we talked about it, it was a form of water.
Neal: A form of water.
Smith: Yes, sir.
Neal: Rather than the real medicine?
Smith: On most occasions I would imagine that’s what it was. I don’t know…on most occasions, I can’t say that for sure.
Neal: Did you have these discussions with Dr. Nichopoulos?
Smith: Yes, sir.
Neal: Matter of fact, did Dr. Nichopoulos give some of you [objection by Prosecution]. Do you know Mr. Al Strada?
Smith: Yes, sir.
Neal: Did he work for Mr. Presley at the same time?
Smith: Yes, sir.
Neal: Do you know whether or not Dr. Nichopoulos gave him certain things to use with Mr. Presley, if he had the opportunity?
Smith: Yes, sir, uh, a lot of times, uh, Dr. Nichopoulos would not be present or Letetia Henley would not be present, and, uh, Al had gone to medical school, I don’t know for how long or for what period of time or anything, but I did know he had gone to medical school and, uh, on certain occasions he, if we couldn’t reach anybody like Dr. Nick or Letetia, then we’d simply have somebody in the group try their best to reach ’em, then if we couldn’t, well, Al had been…he had talked to him, Dr. Nick, about that, too, so they would, again, to the best they could, would either squirt it out on the floor if he was not sure of it, or go ahead and inject it himself.
[end]
Does everyone understand what was happening here?
ElvisDecoded 