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Patnode denies he intended to stab prostitute to deathI By Jim O'HaraI Staff WriterRoland Patnode took the witness stand Friday and denied he intended to murder when he stabbed transvestite prostitute David McLaughlin to death last October.Defense attorney James Meg-festo called no other witnesses on atnode’s behalf before he rested the defense case Friday afternoon.County Court Judge Patrick J. Cunningham then excused the jurors for the weekend, telling them they can expect to begin deliberations Monday after hearing closing arguments from Meggesto and Chief Assistant District Attorney John Duncan.Despite a sharp cross examination by Duncan, Patnode never wavered from his testimony that he was trying to get his hand out from between McLaughlin's teeth when he stabbed the 22-year-old victim Oct. 1.McLaughlin began biting Patnode after the defendant discovered the victim was a man dressed as a woman. McLaughlin was performing oral sodomy on Patnode when the defendant made the discovery, Patnode said.Although the defendant readily admitted in court he was embarrassed and upset by that, he hedged at conceding he was angry.When Duncan pointed out Patnode gave an eight-page confession in November in which he said he was real mad' at making that discovery, the defendant conceded he was mad at McLaughlin, but only when he first discovered the victim's identity.And he repeatedly maintained he was more concerned about getting his index finger out of the victim’s mouth once McLaughlin began biting him.Duncan's questions were laced with sarcasm as he questioned how the defendant — a 6-foot 4-inch, 230-pound athlete who lettered in football, wrestling and track in high school — could not get his finger out of the mouth of a 125-pound transvestite.You’re sitting there with your index finger in his mouth, you're punching him in the head and you're saying you couldn't get your finger out of his mouth?” Duncan asked. You're telling this jury this 125-pound transvestite is hanging on to your finger and you can’t get it out?”Yes,” Patnode calmly replied. Duncan asked if it wasn't possible that McLaughlin began biting Patnode because Patnode waspunching McLaughlin.Did you get the impression he was scared?” the prosecutor asked.It didn’t enter my mind,” Patnode said.Patnode, though, was unable to explain to the jurors how he stabbed the victim three times. The jury heard from the medical examiner Friday morning that McLaughlin was stabbed twice in the throat and once in the lower right side of the back.Patnode told the jurors he remembered stabbing McLaughlin only once, indicating it was in the area of the victim’s right side.You stabbed him in the back, didn't you?” the prosecutor asked.I don't recall,” Patnode answered.You’re telling this jury you don't have any recollection of stabbing him twice in the throat?” Duncan asked.No,” the defendant said.Duncan grilled the defendant about why, once he got his hand out of McLaughlin's mouth and once the victim bolted from the defendant's pickup truck, he chased the victim and dragged him back into the truck.“I was scared, Patnode explained. When I looked down at myself there was a lot of blood.”He said he did not want to get in trouble with the police so he grabbed McLaughlin, pushed him back in the truck and drove off-And he maintained he buried the victim in a barn in the Madison County community of West Eaton because he was scared and confused and anxious to stay out of trouble.Wasn’t it a fact you were so angry this man was a transvestite and had done this to you and you paid him $40 to boot, you were so angry you decided to bury him?” Duncan asked.No,” Patnode said.The prosecutor repeatedly asked Patnode why he yelled to two witnesses to call the police as he drove off with McLaughlin’s body in his truck. The defendant said he was concerned about his own safety when he shouted for the police, since he did not know who the two passersby were and he was afraid they might attack him too.If convicted of murder, he faces a maximum penalty of 25 years to life in prison.Cunningham is expected to let the jurors consider a lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter In which they can find the defendant was acting under extreme emotional disturbance when he stabbed McLaughlin.
Newspaper Details
Syracuse Herald Journal
Syracuse, New York, US
Sat, Jul 25, 1987
Page 13
Full Page
Clipped by
Chad G.
USA 01 May 2023
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