DEFENSE PRESENTS TESTIMONY IN COTTONWOOD COUNTY MURDER TRIAL

The defense in the Cottonwood County murder trial presented its case Monday in the trial of 26-year-old No Name Given Happy of San Diego, California.  He is charged with second-degree murder, second-degree assault and making terroristic threats stemming from a stabbing incident New Year’s Eve at the Phat Pheasant Pub in Windom that killed 30-year-old Benjamin Matter of Windom.  The defense called two witnesses including Happy himself.  Happy said that tempers escalated over a game of pool when the discussion of playing for money came up.   He told the court he was followed by upwards of six men as he walked to his truck with one of the men allegedly punching him.  Happy testified he tried to go back into the bar to get his camera when Matter approached him looking like he was going to punch him.  He testified that someone struck him in the back of the head and the next thing he remembers is he was being taken to a police car.  After Happy’s testimony, the defense rested.  The jury was excused for the day and the trial is expected to resume Tuesday morning at 9 am with closing arguments and instructions for the jury before deliberations start.