Day Ten - Closing Arguments Expected Wednesday, After Both Sides Rest Their Cases

Christopher Brandon Lee was back on the stand this morning, as prosecutor Sean Daugherty hadn't completed his cross-examination of the defendant when court broke for recess on Thursday.

Erin Corwin/Facebook

Once again, Daugherty picked apart all of the inconsistencies in Lee's versions of events. If Lee wanted to go hunting with Conor Malakie on the last day of Erin's life, then why didn't he take ANY steps to meet up with him? If Lee didn't want to get caught up in a "long, drawn-out" conversation with Erin about their future together, then why did he do everything in his power to get her to go with him, even suggesting he had a special surprise for her?

Daugherty also questioned why Lee would play Russian Roulette every day for a month, as the defendant claimed, if he was so worried about leaving his daughter Liberty without a father?

Another tidbit that Daugherty shared with the jury - apparently Lee wanted to wear his Marine Corps uniform for his trial. This is the uniform from the same Marine Corps he was so disappointed in that it prompted him to play Russian Roulette and seduce his 19-year-old neighbor? Please.

Again, Daugherty questioned Lee about all the coincidences he claims happened in the weeks, days, and moments leading up to Erin's murder; It was a coincidence Lee just happened to have a homemade garrote ("a weapon of stealth, a weapon of surprise" as Daugherty called it) on hand - and in his hand - when he was filled such with murderous rage against Erin that he strangled her.

Here are a few quotes from Chris Lee's testimony, many of which contradict each other, describing his mindset before, during, and after he strangled to death Erin Corwin:

"I made the decision to kill her, I did."

"To me it was an instant and an eternity in the same moment."

"Physically I could have stopped."

"I didn't lose my mind, Mr. Daugherty, I just wasn't able to stop."

"It was something I had to do."

"I was controlled by the anger, the hate I felt that day."

"The hate commanded me."

"Anger and hate and that's what moved me forward."

Daugherty got Lee to admit that after strangling her to death, Lee dragged Erin over to the mine shaft using the handles of the garrote that was still around her neck. "She went in head first," said Lee, without a hint of authentic emotion.

Daugherty wrapped up his cross with some stellar points:

• Why would Erin chose to confess to molesting Lee's daughter in the middle of nowhere, where she had no car, no cell service, no way to call for help, NO MEANS OF ESCAPE? 
• Where were Erin's shoes, cell phone, and car keys? If events occurred as Lee claimed they did, they should all have been on her person when she was discovered in the mine. They weren't.

On re-re-direct, David Kaloyanides asked about the demonstration of the murder Lee participated in last Thursday at Daugherty's request. Lee attempted to eliminate any premeditation from his action, saying that when he actually murdered Erin, time for him was "fluid" and there was no distinction between the moment he realized he had the homemade garrote in his hand and the five minutes it took to strangle the life out of 19-year-old Erin Corwin.

On re-re-cross (if that's what it's called) Daugherty got Lee to admit the previous false stories he told to law enforcement were shaped based on what evidence he believed the police already had. Now that Lee knows all of the evidence against him (DNA, shell casings, cell phone locations, etc.) he is shaping his testimony before the jury to match this testimony.

But in both cases, Lee blamed his actions on Erin.

Yet as Daugherty reminded the jury in one of his final exchanges with Lee, Erin couldn't have defended herself.

"She had no idea what was coming."

Lee was the only witness for the defense. Detective Woods was called as the sole rebuttal witness for the prosecution, just to re-establish Erin was not wearing shoes, and had no car keys with her, when she was discovered in the mine shaft.

Both sides have rested. The judge spent Tuesday afternoon with Daugherty and Kaloyanides going over jury instructions and what exhibits will be allowed during deliberation.

Court is back in session Wednesday at 10 a.m.

All murder which is perpetrated by means of a destructive device or explosive, a weapon of mass destruction, knowing use of ammunition designed primarily to penetrate metal or armor, poison, lying in wait, torture, or by any other kind of willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing, or which is committed in the perpetration of, or attempt to perpetrate, arson, rape, carjacking, robbery, burglary, mayhem, kidnapping, train wrecking, or any act punishable under Section 206, 286, 288, 288a, or 289, or any murder which is perpetrated by means of discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle, intentionally at another person outside of the vehicle with the intent to inflict death, is murder of the first degree.  All other kinds of murders are of the second degree.
- See more at: http://codes.findlaw.com/ca/penal-code/pen-sect-189.html#sthash.H4endON2.dpu