Lansing — A third man might have been involved in the 1973 murder of MSU junior Martin V. Brown.

This information was revealed in the murder trial of Gary Mason in Lansing's 30th Judicial Circuit Court on Tuesday. Mason is charged with murdering Brown.

Brown was stabbed 10 times near Jenison Field House at about 1:30 a.m., March 11, 1973, while walking to his Armstrong Hall dorm after leaving a party in Campbell Hall.

Brown was able to identify two men in military fatigues as his assailants while being transported to Lansing's Sparrow Hospital before dying.

Mason's defense attorney, Hugh Clarke Jr., said a third man could have been involved with Brown's murder. He pointed to former MSU student Haywood Lockhart as a potential assailant.

Lockhart was brought in by MSU police for interviews in 1973 concerning the murder. During those interviews, MSU police Chief Jim Dunlap, then a detective with the department, said Lockhart was being untruthful and would often change his story. He added Lockhart admitted to giving police false information.

Dunlap said Lockhart left campus, after agreeing to be interviewed again two days after the stabbing and did not appear for his final examinations. Police couldn't locate Lockhart for further questioning at that time.

Lockhart is scheduled to testify later in the trial.

Kumbi Salim, then known as Stanley Price, is the only other person charged with Brown's murder. Salim is scheduled to go to trial in April.

A green army jacket and pants taken from Salim's Holden Hall dorm room also were presented during the trial. Dunlap said he removed the items during an investigation of the room and also found a reddish substance in the bathroom sink.

The name "Marty" was scrawled into the wall above the phone in the dorm room, he said, adding he thought the nickname was in reference to Brown who was also known as Marty.

The trial will continue Thursday.