CLEVELAND — The trial for the man accused in the Warrensville Heights murder of 46-year-old Amanda Williams began with jury selection on Monday.
Court records show that 42-year-old Tirrell Edwards faces multiple charges in the case, including one count of aggravated murder, two counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault and one count of domestic violence.
Shortly before opening statements began Tuesday morning, the judge said no live streaming was permitted.
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office says the case dates back to early October when the Warrensville Heights Police Department responded to the scene in the 19700 block of Sunset Drive where Williams was found with multiple gunshot wounds.
She was taken to a nearby hospital where she was later pronounced dead.
Edwards ultimately turned himself in on Nov. 3 after police say a warrant was issued for his arrest.
The trial is being held in the courtroom of Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Steven E. Gall. Monday's proceedings began with jury selection.
In court Tuesday, the prosecution and defense were in agreement that Edwards shot and killed Williams, his fiancée. They say the question is whether he intentionally killed her in an act of murder or if he was acting in self defense.
During opening arguments, the prosecution shared that on Oct. 9, the couple was having a tense day of arguing that had started in the morning. That night, Edwards and Williams got into a very heated argument in their bedroom, with prosecutors claiming Edwards fired six shots at Williams, in anger, after she told him to leave the house.
"She had told him to leave. 'I want you to leave. Go.' He said, 'No,'" Kevin Filiatraut of the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office said. "And she has a knife with her, and they're arguing, and the defendant gets a gun and shoots her six times, emptying the revolver, killing her in her own bedroom."
The prosecution would later play police car video of Edwards in the back seat explaining that during the argument, he had taken two of his own guns and put them in his car, saying, "What I was worried about is that I was about to use the guns." Prosecutors suggested this moment shows that killing had been on Edwards' mind.
Edwards' defense team is claiming self defense, saying he fired the shots only after Williams attacked him with a knife. They explained that the gun he shot Williams with was hers and he had grabbed it from under the mattress to protect himself from being injured by the knife.
"There's nothing mistakable about this," defense attorney Andy Petropouleas stated. "This man, at the moment he shot, did not want to be stabbed with that knife, and it was imminent and that's the choice he made, and we believe that when the court instructs you on self defense, that that is self defense and that's the only choice he had."
The prosecution did show pictures to the courtroom of a knife near Williams' body that were taken by emergency responders. Williams' daughter, Tyler Williams, also testified in court on Tuesday, saying she was in the home when the gun shots rang out and that Edwards wouldn't let her in the bedroom when she ran to see what happened.
"And I'm trying to get over to her, and he's just like, 'Go downstairs, call the police, call the ambulance,' and I'm like 'What happened? What did you do?'" she emotionally recalled. "I was not able to help my mom, hold her, nothing, because he wouldn't let me get past, get towards her, near her, hold her, last breath, wake her up. I was not able to do anything."
The defense gave its explanation of this action of Edwards earlier.
"'I don't want her and the baby to see this. I don't want the scene to be distorted,'" Petropouleas said, paraphrasing Edwards' words. "Common sense. He knew what had happened. He cooperated in every way."
Testimony continues in court Wednesday morning. The prosecution told 3News a few medical professionals will be taking ths stand, including a coroner and DNA expert.