Defendant: I was at a friend's when missionaries were shot

CHESAPEAKE

James Boughton Jr. took the witness stand Friday and denied shooting two Mormon missionaries in 2006, telling the jury he was at a friend's home "just playing games and chillin'."

"I didn't have anything to do with this crime," he said.

Boughton, 22, was the last witness to testify before his defense team rested its case in Chesapeake Circuit Court. The prosecution and defense are expected to present closing arguments Monday.

Boughton is accused of shooting two missionaries - killing one - while they proselytized on Elkhart Street in Deep Creek on Jan. 2, 2006. He is charged with first-degree murder, malicious wounding, attempted malicious wounding and three firearm offenses.

Commonwealth's Attorney Nancy Parr and Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney D.J. Hansen maintain that Boughton fatally shot Morgan W. Young and wounded Joshua D. Heidbrink. They have used, in part, DNA evidence and a witness's testimony to link him to the crime.

Andrew Sacks, Boughton's attorney, called witnesses Friday who placed Boughton on Sir Meliot Drive in the Camelot section of the city with friends the night of the shooting, between 4 and 8 p.m.

"He was at my house," Trymaine Steward, 21, testified.

Steward's mother also testified that Boughton was at the house when she came home from work sometime after 6 p.m. that night.

Boughton, in suit and tie, was on the witness stand for more than two hours, answering most questions with a "yes, sir," or "no, sir."

Under cross-examination, Hansen questioned Boughton about the presence of his DNA on the murder weapon, a hooded sweat shirt found in the area and a baseball cap left at the crime scene.

Hansen asked Boughton why he failed to immediately tell the Chesapeake police investigator, Detective Ronald Young, where he was during the crime, when he was being identified as a suspect.

"You didn't tell him you were on Sir Meliot because you weren't on Sir Meliot. Isn't that a fact?" Hansen asked.

Boughton replied: "I was on Sir Meliot."

John Hopkins, (757) 222-5221, john.hopkins@pilotonline.com