State Presents Case Against McCafferty as Witnesses Testify Monday

After seating a jury and presenting opening statements, the State began laying out its case against Andrew McCafferty yesterday in Hardin County.

Prosecutor Brad Bailey called three witnesses to the stand Monday afternoon.

They included Emily Roy, the Communications Coordinator at the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office, who presented the timeline from the first 9-1-1 call made by McCafferty’s live-in girlfriend, who reported that James Collins had been stabbed. Colin O’Connell, a paramedic with South East Hardin–North West Union County EMS, talked about the grave condition Collins was in when they arrived on scene, including obvious evisceration. He said they were able to find a very weak pulse, and Collins was transported to Hardin Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Also on the stand was Deputy Scott Willoby from the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office.

He testified that he found Collins’ body in the middle of the road, which seemed to contradict what McCafferty told investigators, which was he was approached while in his yard.

Willoby said he was dispatched to meet with Sheriff Keith Everhart at the home of McCafferty’s dad, where he went after the stabbing.

Willoby’s bodycam video showed Everhart asking McCafferty where the knife was, and McCafferty responding that it was in the railroad bed.

Willoby asked him again while he was in the cruiser, and McCafferty gave a more precise location leading to its discovery.

The knife had an eight-inch blade and was covered in blood and other body material.

All of that was to establish McCafferty did not volunteer any information as Defense Attorney Joel Spitzer alluded to in his opening statement.

Deputy Willoby also testified that McCafferty seemed anxious to want to claim the stabbing was in self-defense.

On cross, Willoby told Spitzer that McCafferty was fully cooperative.

He also admitted that while there were no obvious signs of injury on McCafferty’s body that would indicate he was attacked by Collins, bruising can appear a day, two or even three days later, but McCafferty was never checked.

In this case, the State has the burden of not only proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt but also must prove it was not in self-defense.

The case is scheduled to run through this Friday.