Defendant takes stand in ND murder-for-hire case
An Oklahoma City handyman accused of killing a Fargo dentist in an alleged murder-for-hire scheme has taken the witness stand.
Michael Nakvinda is on trial in North Dakota court for the October 2009 slaying of Philip Gattuso. Authorities believe Gattuso's father-in-law, Gene Kirkpatrick, paid Nakvinda $3,000 for the hit.
Nakvinda testified for about 30 minutes Tuesday before Judge Frank Racek adjourned court for the day. Nakvinda told jurors he met Gattuso briefly while he was working on a table for the Kirkpatrick family, but said he didn't remember the conversation.
Defense attorney Steven Mottinger said in his opening statement that Nakvinda was framed by Kirkpatrick and wasn't in Fargo when Gattuso was killed.
Racek told jurors that closing arguments in the case will likely begin Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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