Posted: Wednesday, 14 July 2010 5:58PM
Christian Hauser (7/14/2010)
chauser@keci.com
An accused killer's girlfriend told a Missoula jury she was afraid the night her boyfriend suspected she was having an affair.
Charles Branham is on trial for murdering Michael Kinross-Wright in an apparent lover's triangle.
Brittany Wells, Branham's girlfriend told jurors about her family, a 22-month old daughter, and her boyfriend and suspect, whom she lived with.
It all changed in the early morning hours of December 11th, 2009. Wells told the jury she had had a month-long affair with the victim. She told officers she didn't think Branham knew about the affair, but that he probably suspected something.
Wells testified "I was scared he would find out about me using drugs with Mike as long as I had been. Um, I was scared he would find out about the affair. I was scared mike was going to hurt him. Um I was just scared."
She also testified Branham wanted to confront the victim and that her relationship needed to end with Kinross-Wright because she had a daughter with Branham and that she was his girlfriend.
Kinross-Wright lived at Missoula's Colonial Inn apartments. Prosecutors argue Branham was filled with rage and jealousy and went over there looking to hurt him. They also described what the first officer on the scene found, Kinross-Wright, dying in his apartment. He called 911 and told operators he was dying.
Branham claims it was self defense. And that's what his girlfriend told the jury.
Wells added "Somehow charles ended up on the ground and saw a knife that got brought into it and grabbed it and said he didn't know if he stabbed mike or not, he was just scared."
Branham's defense claims Kinross-Wright was associated with a gang and that Branham expected Kinross-Wright would turn violent.
For now though, Brittany Wells can only wait and wonder whether she'll raise their daughter alone.
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