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“…And Then My Husband Shot Him” Wife Testifies in Trooper Murder Trial

Posted at 6:00 PM, Feb 24, 2014
and last updated 2014-02-25 08:16:23-05

MASON COUNTY, Mich. (Feb. 24, 2014)– The prosecution has introduced several witnesses and key pieces of evidence over the past week in the murder trial of Eric Knysz, but Monday jurors got to hear from the only eye witness: his wife Sarah.

Sarah seemed to make little eye contact with her husband, who’s accused of killing Michigan State Police Trooper Paul Butterfield.

Very emotional, she testified about what happened Sept. 9, saying  she saw Eric shoot Trooper Butterfield.

She told the jury what Butterfield’s last words were. “He started to say ‘How’s it going?,” Sarah testified.

The prosecution read a letter they say Eric wrote to Sarah’s attorney from jail, claiming he made threats to Sarah if she didn’t obey what he said after the shooting.

Although in pre-trial testimony, Sarah testified that she was never directly threatened with a gun, as Eric allegedly wrote in the letter.

After Sarah’s testimony wrapped, the jury was dismissed and Eric asked his attorney not to cross examine his wife.

He then told her “I love you and I’m sorry for putting you and (son’s name) through this.” Sarah told the court she delivered their son on Christmas.

Eric’s father, John Knysz also took the stand, testifying about the alleged guns Eric stole from him including what is believed to the murder weapon. Eric also asked that his attorney not cross examine his father.

Aside from hearing from witnesses Monday, the jury also heard the second recorded interview Eric had with police in the days following the shooting. He again confessed to police to shooting Trooper Butterfield.

In the interview, police also asked him about his back injury from a few years ago and questioned the amount of prescription drugs he uses. In that interview Eric told police he took morphine 3-4 hours before the shooting, saying he took “extra” that day.

During that interview, investigators also asked Eric Knysz if he had anything to say about what he did.

“I’d like to greatly apologize to them. Tell them that I was — please hand them my sincere apologies. If I could do anything to change that, I would. If I could have him shoot me instead, I would,” he said on the recording.

The trial will resume at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, the judge suggested Monday things were coming to a close.