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Text from Singler called McCowan 'slut,' 'queer' via text hours before stabbing

April 18, 2013
	<p>Okemos resident Connor McCowan is escorted into the courtroom by his attorney, Chris Bergstrom, during the preliminary exam of the fatal stabbing of <span class="caps">MSU</span> student Andrew Singler on April 18, 2013, at Ingham County District Judge Donald Allen&#8217;s courtroom in Mason, Mich. McCowan is standing trial for allegedly killing 23-year-old Singler in February. Natalie Kolb/The State News</p>

Okemos resident Connor McCowan is escorted into the courtroom by his attorney, Chris Bergstrom, during the preliminary exam of the fatal stabbing of MSU student Andrew Singler on April 18, 2013, at Ingham County District Judge Donald Allen’s courtroom in Mason, Mich. McCowan is standing trial for allegedly killing 23-year-old Singler in February. Natalie Kolb/The State News

Photo by Natalie Kolb | The State News

Profane text messages from his sister’s boyfriend antagonized Okemos resident Connor McCowan enough to drive to his apartment and stab former MSU student Andrew Singler until he fell bleeding onto the floor, according to testimony from Meridian Township police on Thursday at the 55th District Court in Mason.

McCowan will go to trial. His arraignment is scheduled for May 1 in Ingham County Circuit Court.

Singler, who died Feb. 23 from stab wounds and was dating McCowan’s sister, called McCowan a “whore,” “slut,” “queer” and other expletives via text the night he was stabbed, according to testimony.

Alumnus Tyler Aho, who lived in an apartment on Rothbury Road with Singler, spent hours in court explaining the seconds he said it took for McCowan to fatally stab his roommate in the early morning hours of Feb. 23.

McCowan sat rigidly during the proceeding, swallowing heavily or moving his eyes to stare at Aho.

Singler’s roommate and text message records from McCowan’s phone painted a grim picture of the night Aho said McCowan arrived at the door of his apartment with a flip blade.

Singler was drunk, angry and texting and calling his girlfriend Shay McCowan, Connor’s sister who lived at the same Rothbury Road apartment. Singler accused Shay of losing his keychain. Shay texted her brother that Singler broke her back and ribs, although Meridian Township police Sgt. Andrew McCready said she never was treated for any injuries and she texted her brother later that she was all right.

According to text messages and testimony by Aho, McCowan drove to the apartment to confront Singler.

Aho said when McCowan arrived Singler, described as an athletic man almost 6 feet tall and 180 pounds, hit McCowan with a “haymaker” punch to the face. A grapple ensued, then McCowan stabbed the hunting knife into Singler’s chest and fled the apartment.

“Andrew fell to the wall, fell to the ground,” Aho said in court. “I think he screamed, ‘Oh god.’…He was in pain.”

Aho said he never went to Singler, lying bleeding on the ground, to see if he was OK. He didn’t say he was sorry. He didn’t show remorse.

He looked at Aho “threateningly,” shrugged his shoulders and left.

For full results of the hearing today and details of a pathologist’s testimony, keep checking statenews.com.

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