Mother of victim testifies in Ore. murder trial

COQUILLE, Ore. (AP) — The mother of an Oregon teen found slain 11 years ago has testified that the last time she saw her daughter, the 15-year-old said she was going to take her mom’s advice and spend less time with her boyfriend.

That boyfriend, now-29-year-old Nicholas McGuffin, is on trial for first-degree murder in Leah Freeman’s death. The girl disappeared on the night of June 28, 2000. Her body was found five weeks later.

Cory Courtright told a Circuit Court jury on Thursday that she had told her daughter the girl needed to spend more time with friends.

Police investigated McGuffin, but no charges were filed until last year, when a grand jury considering new evidence indicted him.

Prosecutor Erika Soublet told jurors that testimony would show McGuffin and Freeman were seen together after Freeman left a friend’s house the night she vanished.

Defense attorney Shaun McCrea said in his opening statement that prosecutors have no physical evidence linking McGuffin to the crime.