A man who first told police he had nothing to do with the stabbing death of an alleged drug dealer but now claims he killed the man in self defense is expected to be on the witness stand when his murder trial resumes Tuesday in St. Louis County District Court in Hibbing.
Andy Prtine, 33, of Hibbing was indicted by a grand jury in September on two counts of first-degree murder in the Nov. 8, 2007, stabbing death of Brent Ward in the victim's East Howard Street apartment in Hibbing.
In his opening statement last week, St. Louis County prosecutor Jeff Vlatkovich told jurors that Prtine stabbed Ward at least 63 times. He said the relationship between the two men was strictly business, based on their drug dealings.
Prtine told police that he purchased $25 worth of cocaine from Ward on Nov. 8. They later got into a fight after both men had been smoking cocaine. It wasn't clear from the opening statements what the fight was about, but Vlatkovich and defense attorney Jon Rice both told jurors that the victim had a history of "shorting" his drug customers by mixing cocaine with baking soda.
Rice told jurors that the homicide was justifiable because his client was acting in self defense.
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The trial is being held before a 15-member jury, which includes three alternates, with 6th Judicial District Judge David Ackerson presiding.
