Alleged killer Connor McCowan walks into the court room for the second day of his trial, Oct. 3, 2013, at the Ingham County Circuit Court in Lansing. McCowan stands trial for the murder of MSU student Andrew Singler in February 2013. Danyelle Morrow/The State News
The murder trial of Okemos resident Connor McCowan continued Thursday morning with additional testimony and recorded police interviews from the roommate of his alleged victim, MSU student Andrew Singler.
Singler, a nutritional sciences senior, was fatally stabbed in his apartment Feb. 23 after he and McCowan allegedly had a disagreement over a series of text messages, culminating in McCowan showing up at the apartment. McCowan’s trial began this week in Ingham County Circuit Court.
On Thursday, McCowan’s attorney Chris Bergstrom brought forth an interview between Singler’s roommate, Tyler Aho, and Meridian Township police recorded shortly after the stabbing. He said the recording showed a discrepancy between Aho’s initial statements to police and his later testimony.
In previous court testimony, Aho reported seeing McCowan with a knife in his right hand after he entered the apartment Aho shared with Singler and Shay McCowan, Singler’s girlfriend and Connor McCowan’s sister. Aho initially called 911 on the night Singler was stabbed.
In the recorded interview, Aho said Singler’s back was to him throughout the altercation, rendering him unable to see any weapons.
“I don’t recall (McCowan) pulling it out,” Aho said in the recording. “I just saw the motion of him hitting him several times.”
Singler and Shay McCowan reportedly had an argument the night of Feb. 23, according to text messages between Connor McCowan and his sister. Connor McCowan and Singler then had an argument over a series of text messages.
Connor McCowan then drove to Singler’s apartment early that morning to confront him, according to previous court testimony.
In the recording, Aho said Connor McCowan was “cool, calm and collected” upon entering the apartment. He said Singler made the first move, hitting Connor McCowan once in the face.
Aho also said in the recording there had never been any tension between Singler and Connor McCowan that he was aware of.
“I’ve never seen any type of altercation that would lead to that,” Aho initially told police. “I’ve never seen Andrew get overheated about Connor or anything.”
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