The exterior of Ernie’s Cafe on Bank Street in New London was decorated with Christmas wreaths and holiday lights when 30-year-old Todd “T-Rek” Thomas asked a childhood friend for a cigarette, stepped outside and was fatally shot on Dec. 23, 2006.

City police, who were investigating a drive-by shooting that occurred three weeks earlier, quickly made the connection between Thomas and the two men who eventually would be charged with his murder.

A jury of 12 regular members and four alternates learned those details during the first day of testimony in the murder trial of Darius Armadore and Gerjuan Tyus on Monday. Survivors of Thomas and supporters of the two defendants were listening from the gallery.

Armadore, 34, who also is known as “P-Nut,” and Tyus, also known as “Cali,” who have both pleaded not guilty to murder charges, sat side by side in the courtroom between their attorneys as prosecutors Paul J. Narducci and David J. Smith began calling witnesses.

The two men, who have been incarcerated since they were arrested in 2012, had changed from prison garb into dress pants and button-down shirts.

Defense attorneys John E. Franckling, representing Armadore, and Christopher Duby, representing Tyus, cross-examined each witness.

Judge Arthur C. Hadden is presiding at the trial, which is expected to last about three weeks.

Master Patrolman Lawrence Lee of the New London Police Department, the first witness, testified that he was on routine patrol on Bank Street at about midnight when several people approached his cruiser yelling that somebody had been shot.

Lee said he pulled over in front of Ernie’s Cafe and saw a man lying on his back in the alcove of the adjacent Hotel Royal, his head facing the door, while another man kneeled over him trying to render assistance.

Seeing the severity of the victim’s wounds, Lee said he told the man, who had identified himself as a medic, to move away.

“It looked like the person was ‘Signal 13,’ which is code for a dead body,” Lee testified.

He said he notified the police department, secured the scene and later followed the ambulance to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, where Thomas was pronounced dead. During Lee’s testimony, the prosecution introduced crime scene photos showing the festive seasonal decorations in the background as the paramedics worked on Thomas’ body amid large pools of blood.

The second witness, National Guard medic and helicopter pilot Brendon Conroy, said he was drinking in a bar across the street when he heard a gunshot and looked outside.

Thinking he might be able to help, Conroy said he went over to the victim, who had labored — or “agonal” — breathing, but no pulse.

Conroy estimated there were more than 10 people at the scene when the officer told him there was nothing he could do.

Local resident Linda Edwards, who was walking toward Ernie’s from Union Street, said she heard the gunshot, and about 30 seconds later saw a light-skinned black or Hispanic man wearing jeans and a sweatshirt run past her on Golden Street, then get into a silver car and speed off. Edwards said she could not identify the man if she saw him today.

Kirk Watrous, who lived in the Hygienic apartments at the corner of Bank and Golden streets, testified he looked out the window after hearing the gunshot and saw a man run up Golden Street and get into the passenger side of a car parked in front of the municipal parking lot. He also appeared unable to further identify the person.

“It’s been so long,” he said under cross-examination. “I didn’t get a good look at his face.”

Tanzy Hazel, who said she had grown up with the victim on Boulder Drive in New London, testified she and Thomas, who were both drinking at Ernie’s that night, had greeted one another earlier in the night and that he asked her for a cigarette shortly before the shooting.

She gave him a cigarette, told him she would join him outside shortly, then went back to the bar to finish her drink, Hazel testified.

After hearing “a pop,” Hazel said she went outside, looked to the left and saw Thomas in the doorway of the Hotel Royal. Hazel said she looked to the right and saw somebody in a gray hooded sweatshirt run around the corner, but could not identify the person’s sex or race.

Hazel said she checked on Thomas, then ran inside to call 911.

The jury heard the 911 call, in which Hazel frantically screamed, “Somebody’s shot outside of Ernie’s! Right now!”

Police had arrived by the time the call concluded.

During the afternoon, Detective Edward Gookin from the Eastern District Major Crime Squad testified about a video and photographs of the crime scene that he took after Thomas’ body had been removed.

Taken during a rain storm, the video shows blood running down the steps of the entryway onto the sidewalk. A single shell casing, cellphone, cigarette butt and several items of clothing were recovered.

New London police Capt. Lawrence J. Keating, then a detective, testified about a drive-by shooting that had taken place earlier that month, in which Thomas was “a person of interest.” Police said witnesses told them Tyus and Thomas exchanged gunfire as Thomas drove by 24 Willetts Ave. in a white Lexus on Dec. 3, 2006. Tyus suffered wounds in the leg and back that were not life-threatening. The witnesses said Thomas and Tyus were feuding because Tyus had two gold necklaces, including one with a heavy medallion depicting Jesus, that belonged to Thomas’ brother, John “John John” Thomas.

During the investigation of Thomas’ death, Armadore allegedly broke down and told a woman he had shot Thomas while serving as an “enforcer” for Tyus.

The police developed suspects, collected evidence and interviewed witnesses from the beginning of the investigation but were unable to obtain arrest warrants charging Tyus and Armadore with Thomas’ murder until 2012, when they presented evidence to a judge serving as a grand jury.

k.florin@theday.com

Twitter: @KFLORIN