Multiple Witnesses Take the Stand as McCafferty Trial Continues

The Hardin County trial against Andrew McCafferty continued today.

McCafferty, a Mount Victory man, is facing charges of aggravated murder, murder, involuntary manslaughter, felonious assault, and two counts of tampering with evidence.

Testimony this morning was provided by Andrew McCafferty’s live-in girlfriend, who described his demeanor the evening before the stabbing incident took place.

She told Prosecutor Brad Bailey that McCafferty consumed whiskey, which she said changes him from mild-mannered to angry.

She testified that she left the house around 8 p.m. and took her two high school aged foster daughters with her. They met up with her former boyfriend, James Collins at the library across the street.

They traveled to her son’s house outside of Upper Sandusky.

She left and took the girls with her on a school night because she said she didn’t want to be around McCafferty if he woke up.

Later that night, she received a phone call from McCafferty asking where she was.

She told him she was out with the girls and that she was with Collins.

This was when McCafferty told her not to come back until he packed his things and left.

A bit later, the girlfriend texted McCafferty and told him they would be there in around 15 minutes.

When they arrived back at the house in Mt. Victory, she testified that she saw McCafferty waving his arms and that Collins exited the vehicle; at that point, she said she turned her head because she didn’t want to see them fight.

When she did get out of the van, she said she found Collins in the roadway lying face down and turned him over and discovered the severity of the wound.

On cross, Defense Attorney Joel Spitzer asked why she would allow Collins to take her back to the house when she knew the two men were agitated and trouble could ensue.

She stated that she informed McCafferty when she was returning and expected him to be gone.

Spitzer asked her, why did she not make sure instead of assuming. She replied she had to get the girls back home so they could get to bed for school the next morning.

To this point, Spitzer has insinuated that Collins was high on methamphetamines and had consumed alcohol, but the girlfriend stated that she never had witnessed Collins use drugs, and even if he consumed alcohol, his temperament remained the same.

Spitzer pointed out different text messages sent between her and Collins that day, which showed he made threats to hurt McCafferty, and he asked her again why she would bring the two together that day to fight.

She maintained that she fully expected McCafferty to be gone and not be there when they arrived home that night.

The girlfriend did point out McCafferty had packed some of his things and removed an air conditioner from a window, which would indicate he was leaving, but she also testified her home had been ransacked and her big-screen television had been smashed.

She also found blood throughout the house, including on the door handle, that wasn’t there when she left.

The State is attempting to show that instead of moving all of his things out that evening, McCafferty got a butcher knife out, sharpened it, and in the process cut his thumb.

McCafferty told investigators that he cut it chopping up onions and bell peppers for chili soup that evening.

The girlfriend stated, however, that McCafferty only helped with the hamburger and that the other ingredients were from a can, which didn’t need to be cut up.

On the stand, the girlfriend testified that two weeks later, she found the knife sharpener in a kitchen drawer with what appeared to be blood on it.

She contacted investigators, and the item was collected for evidence.  

On the stand Tuesday afternoon, were the two foster children of Andrew McCafferty’s girlfriend.

In separate testimony, both recounted the evening of September 30, 2025, when they met up with James Collins, along with their foster mom and they went to her son’s home in Upper Sandusky.

Upon arrival back to the Taylor Street residence where the stabbing occurred, they said McCafferty could be seen waving one arm and appeared to be hiding something behind his back.

Collins, they testified, stopped the van he was driving abruptly, got out, and approached McCafferty, and they described what they perceived to be a fistfight between them.

Neither one saw exactly what happened during the course of the fight. They also stated that they didn’t see Collins walk away from McCafferty. They only recall seeing Collins fall face down in the road.

Testimony also was provided by Hardin County Sheriff’s Deputy Bradley Fleck, who was dispatched to the Taylor Street residence on October 16 to recover a blood-covered knife sharpener.

McCafferty’s girlfriend testified earlier that she found the item in a kitchen drawer on October 16^th, which was 15 days after the stabbing.

The last witness on the stand for the day was McCafferty’s father.

He testified that his son woke him up during the early morning hours of October 1 and told him to call 9-1-1 because a guy came at him swinging and that he had stabbed him.

Prosecutor Brad Bailey asked him if his son told him why he left the scene and didn’t notify authorities himself, which he could not answer.

Bailey also asked him if his son ever told him about throwing away his phone, to which he said no.

On cross, Defense Attorney Joel Spitzer asked about his faith, and the elder McCafferty recounted two stories that he says strengthened his faith.

Spitzer tied that into how he raised his son.

The elder McCafferty said he taught his children not to lie, and he felt Andrew followed that advice when he confessed to him what he did that night.

On re-direct, Prosecutor Bailey asked him if his son is honest, why didn’t he tell investigators about his cell phone that he threw in a creek behind his dad’s residence.

Bailey acknowledged that McCafferty told authorities where they could find the knife after being asked where it was, but he asked him if it would be deceptive if he didn’t tell them about the phone, to which the elder McCafferty agreed it would be.

Wednesday promises to be a long day of testimony in the trial that is scheduled to run through Friday.