The homicide case rests on who jurors believe -- and what version of their story they trust.
The question isn't if Daniel Lawrence fatally stabbed a man. It's why.
The 29-year-old's attorney never contested that Lawrence killed a girlfriend's ex in 2014 outside the woman's Washington home. But while the prosecution says it was done in a jealous rage, the defense says it was a matter of self-defense -- that the victim was actually the aggressor.
Deliberations began about midday Monday. The jury of six men and six women must weigh three days of testimony, including statements from Lawrence himself.
First they must consider ...
The charges.
Lawrence is accused of stabbing to death 30-year-old Warren Moore, of Jersey City, on Sept. 2, 2014, outside Melissa Woody's home at 276 E. Washington Ave. in the borough of Washington.
He is charged with first-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. To convict Lawrence of murder, the jury must determine that he purposely caused Moore's death.
An acquittal on the murder charge would not necessarily mean that Lawrence is home-free. The jury could determine that a conviction on a lesser charge is warranted. Two such charges could be aggravated or reckless manslaughter, which do not require a killing to be intentional.
To determine Lawrence's guilt, if any, the jury must weigh ...
The evidence.
There are no questions here: The jury saw the folding utility knife that was used to kill Moore. It had two of Lawrence's IDs attached to the belt clip. Moore's blood was on the blade, and both men's on the IDs.
Warren Moore is seen in an undated photo. (NJ Advance Media file photo)It was established that Moore died of nine stab wounds to his chest, left side and back. Three separate stabs reached his heart, lungs and diaphragm. There was also evidence of alcohol, PCP and meth in the victim's system, the combined effects of which could not be determined.
The first people on scene said that both Lawrence and Woody, his girlfriend, were there and stayed as police and rescue workers responded. But beyond that, jurors must sort through differences in ...
The testimony.
While there is no disputing that Lawrence stabbed Moore, no one besides them actually saw it happen. And the events leading up to that differ between who is telling the story and when.
Woody testified that Moore, an ex-boyfriend of hers, came to pick up a bag left at her home after they broke up a year or so earlier. Lawrence was also there, and Woody said she had to break up multiple verbal disagreements between them before things turned physical. She told of pulling Lawrence off of Moore during a fight on the porch. The stabbing allegedly occurred while she was upstairs getting a towel to wipe up blood from the fight.
Defense presses on inconsistencies
However, the defense noted she told a different story to the state Department of Child Protection & Permanency -- one in which Moore was the aggressor. She said she was trying at the time to protect Lawrence and that DCP&P's records of her statements were lies.
When he took the stand, Lawrence said everything had happened very quickly. He said an angry Moore showed up at the front door, and that Lawrence stepped in to protect Woody. Lawrence said the larger man attacked him and that he stabbed him for fear of his own life. He said Moore stumbled out to the front yard and collapsed.
Lawrence: 'I did what I had to do'
But in his taped, hourlong statement to police hours after the stabbing -- which the jury watched in full -- he told a slightly different story omitting important information. He said Moore had been dropped off at the house in that condition, that Lawrence got blood on himself by helping the other man. And he didn't mention any fight.
Authorities investigate a fatal stabbing Sept. 2, 2014, at 276 E. Washington Ave. in the borough of Washington. (lehighvalleylive.com file photo)In summary
Warren County Assistant Prosecutor Victor Jusino and defense attorney Edward Hesketh made their closing statements to the jury Monday morning. Some notable quotes:
Defense
On witness testimony:
"Whoever was involved in this case ... nobody saw what happened."
On Melissa Woody's role:
"Why is it that Ms. Woody has to have the two of them over at the same time? Why can't Mr. Moore just take his bag and leave? Maybe it has to do with Ms. Woody and some drama she's trying to develop."
On Woody's statement to DCP&P:
"You don't want to lose your children. You're going to tell (DCP&P) exactly what happened."
On Moore's nine stab wounds:
"If it was really intentional on (Lawrence's) part to kill Mr. Moore, you think he would only have connected three of nine? ... If Mr. Moore was in a chair defenseless, as Ms. Woody says ... all nine of those would have been the depth of the blade."
On what the jury should find:
"You can only come to one conclusion: That Daniel Lawrence was trying to protect himself, and that the did what he had to do."
Prosecution
On Moore's wounds and Lawrence's intention:
"Nine. That number alone is sufficiently instructive ... for you to reach a verdict. Nine. That is the number of times this defendant plunged his knife into Warren Moore, stealing his life before he could celebrate his 31st birthday. Nine. Nine equals purposeful. ... Nine equals murder."
On Lawrence's statement to police:
"He was providing a performance that was award-worthy. The entire time joking around with detectives, saying he didn't know what happened. ... Why? Because he thought he was going to get away with it. He told Melissa Woody what to say, he thought she was going to go with it. ... We're not talking about a dumb individual. He's a very smart individual. (He went to) college. Criminal justice. ... And yet he decided to tell a completely fabricated story to police? Why? If I was saving a woman and myself from an attacker? ... He knew he did something wrong."
On the fight between Lawrence and Moore:
"Instead of using two hands to ward (Moore) off, I'm going to use one hand to grab my knife, open it and stab him. It doesn't make sense because it's not true. ... The defendant stabbed Warren Moore nine times in cold blood and that, ladies and gentleman, is murder."
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.