The defense rested its case Wednesday in the attempted murder trial of a Battle Ground man accused of hitting his then-girlfriend and best friend in their heads with a hammer when he found them in bed together.
Defense psychiatrist Jerry Larsen said Wednesday that drug and alcohol intoxication may have interfered with Marcus Morrison’s ability to premeditate or form intent for murder when he fractured the skulls of his best friend, Aaron Warner, and then-girlfriend, Rena Donnelly, with a hammer while they were sleeping at Warner’s house in Vancouver.
Premeditation and intent both must be proven to convict Morrison, 31, of charges of two counts of first-degree attempted murder. Morrison, 31, also is charged with two counts of second-degree attempted murder.
Larsen said that Morrison reported consuming an estimated 24 ounces of alcohol and a total of 13 milligrams of two different kinds of opiates prior to the attack. Larsen estimated that amount of alcohol would produce a blood-alcohol content of 0.3, more than three times the legal limit. However, no blood tests were taken at the time of Morrison’s arrest several hours after the Nov. 23 attack.
Morrison’s attorney, Jeff Sowder, said Morrison also acted in the heat of passion, which is similar to an insanity defense.
In his rebuttal Wednesday, Deputy Prosecutor Luka Vitasovic called Vancouver police Detective Sandra Aldridge to the stand.
Aldridge testified that during her interview with him several hours after the attack, Morrison showed no outward signs of intoxication.
“If somebody were at 0.3 (blood alcohol content) plus under the influence of opiates, would you still expect some manifestation of impairment several hours later?” Vitasovic asked.
“Yes,” Aldridge replied.
In his closing argument Wednesday, Vitasovic noted that Warner’s roommate, Jon Riggs, who saw Morrison standing in the doorway of Warner’s bedroom gripping a hammer right after the attack, also didn’t observe any outward signs that Morrison might have been intoxicated at the time.
“Being drunk is not an excuse to try to kill people,” Vitasovic added.
Donnelly testified Tuesday that she and Morrison had been dating for a couple of months when the incident occurred.
The night before the attack, Morrison, Donnelly and Warner went out drinking together at Main Street Station Bar & Grill in Battle Ground to celebrate Warner’s upcoming birthday. While at the bar, Morrison became upset, apparently because Donnelly was paying more attention to Warner than to Morrison, according to testimony. She said he confronted her about her flirtations, and she responded that she wouldn’t tolerate his controlling behavior and then ended the relationship inside the bar.
“Either out of anger or some twisted form of chivalry, he starts an altercation with Rena’s ex-boyfriend (who also was inside the bar),” Vitasovic said.
Then Morrison left the bar.
Later, Donnelly and Warner went to Warner’s house in Vancouver’s Kevanna neighborhood. Donnelly and Warner watched “The Hobbit” together in Warner’s bed and then went to sleep, Donnelly testified Tuesday.
Donnelly said she awoke when Morrison struck Warner in the head with a hammer. In response to her screams, Morrison raised the hammer and told Donnelly, “shut the (expletive) up, (expletive); you’re next,” Warner testified Monday.
Then, Morrison struck Donnelly in the head with the hammer as she attempted to get away, Warner said.
Warner said that when he tried to call 911, he couldn’t see the screen of his phone because it was covered in his blood.
“I would argue that certain things in life by their very nature are self-evident” Vitasovic said in his closing argument Wednesday.
“Taking a hammer and striking someone in the head, unleashing multiple blows with a hammer is one of those things,” he said. “It doesn’t need to be said. The intent (to kill) was clear by the act itself.”
Sowder is scheduled to give his closing arguments at 9 a.m. today.
