Daniel Lawrence allegedly killed his girlfriend's ex in Washington.
UPDATE: Recapping the 1st day of testimony
"Jealousy. And pride," Victor Jusino began. "That's why we're all here today. That's what this case is about. Jealousy and pride."
The Warren County assistant prosecutor outlined for a jury the state's case against Daniel Lawrence, the 29-year-old accused of stabbing to death a Jersey City man in 2014 outside a home in Washington.
Lawrence's attorney: Stabbing was self-defense
Lawrence is charged with homicide and weapons offenses. Both sides on Monday morning presented their opening statements to the jury panel -- comprised equally of men and women -- before testimony began. Lawrence sat quietly through the statements, wearing a light gray suit and dark shirt and tie.
Jusino said the victim, 30-year-old Warren Moore, of Jersey City, on Sept. 2, 2014, went to the East Washington Avenue home of his ex-girlfriend, Melissa Woody, to retrieve a bag. Lawrence, who also had a relationship with Woody, beat him there by an hour.
What transpired, the prosecutor said, was a string of insults between the two men, punctuated by Woody telling them multiple times to stop. Woody's children and the homeowner also arrived -- the children went out to play, the owner watched them and Woody had to chase after a loose dog, adding to the chaotic situation.
Warren Moore, 30, of Jersey City, is seen in an undated photo. He was stabbed to death Sept. 2, 2014, in Washington. (NJ Advance Media file photo)Eventually, Woody saw Lawrence punching Moore on the front porch as the larger man shielded himself, curled him in a fetal position in a chair, Jusino said. Seeing blood, the woman is said to have gone inside to get a towel and call police.
During that time, Lawrence allegedly stabbed Moore nine times.
Daniel Lawrence trial: A primer on the case
Two passers-by, both county 911 operators driving through on their way to a training class, saw Moore on the lawn, his arms flailing, and stopped to help, the prosecutor said. Police and medical personnel soon arrived, but Moore later succumbed to his injuries.
Nine "vicious thrusts of the knife caused fatal, serious bodily injury to the victim, Mr. Warren Moore," Jusino told the jurors. The folding knife had an ID card on the belt clip, clearly belonging to Lawrence, and DNA from both men was found in the blood, the prosecutor said.
Woody will be among those to testify, he said. While jurors may hear that she gave two inconsistent statements to investigators, Jusino said, the evidence "will leave no doubt in your mind that the defendant brutally murdered Warren Moore."
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.