Joseph Ferlazzo has pleaded not responsible to the first-degree homicide of his spouse, 22-year-old Emily Ferlazzo, in October 2021. He claims he shot her in self-defense whereas the 2 had been celebrating their one-year marriage ceremony anniversary with a visit to Vermont of their van — this after he returned from the journey solo and informed her household she left after a combat.

Taking the stand on Wednesday, Ferlazzo first claimed Emily had been violent with him quite a few instances earlier than the journey, together with one alleged incident after she noticed messages between him and one other lady on his telephone. He mentioned the pair had been in a polyamorous relationship.

“I left my gadget open for her to see who I used to be speaking to … it led to violence,” he claimed. “Bodily abuse began coming into our relationship, the place she would undergo my telephone after which reply by beating on me. She would say, ‘You are a f–king a–hole. I am unable to imagine you are f–king speaking to this bitch.’”

The opposite lady, he mentioned, was a pal of his with whom he was romantic at one level; he, nevertheless, claimed the 2 had stopped being bodily, whereas protecting their friendship.

“It was a barrage. The punches and kicks stored coming and coming. She hit onerous, she wasn’t a delicate particular person. I would not describe her as light,” he testified.

On the evening of her demise, Ferlazzo mentioned the 2 had been arguing fairly a bit, with the suspect claiming Emily was “having a match” and “cussin’ and saying how s–tty I used to be for not giving her cash to go have an Uber and go away the holiday.”

Because the evening went on, he mentioned she “began cursing” at him for having candles lit within the van, claiming she was yelling at him to “flip the f–king candles off.” He claimed issues escalated and she or he “bought up, ran at me and grabbed one of many candles” and began beating him with it.

“Then there was a flurry of punches and kicks that she began punching and kicking me. I needed to restrain her, I needed to seize her by her arms and maintain her arms down,” he continued, claiming she additionally kicked their canine, which induced him to exclaim, “We’re not your punching luggage.”

He stepped outdoors with the canine, then returned to the van, had extra to drink and smoke and bought into mattress, mentioned Ferlazzo.

“I used to be climbing over her and she or he shouted, ‘F–k off,’ and she or he threw an elbow at me and elbowed me in my groin,” he mentioned, claiming he then informed her to cease hitting him. “And that is when it occurred,” he mentioned.

“She mentioned, ‘That is it, you are lifeless,’ and she or he threw her arm beneath her pillow and she or he pulls her hand out with the Taurus [gun]. I used to be feeling horrified. I used to be terrified,” he testified. “As quickly as I noticed that, I felt a wave of warmth, crimson sizzling, and she or he began pushing her physique up … and I am like, ‘No, no, no, no, no’ … she wasn’t stopping. I used to be holding my Glock and she or he began developing at me and I simply fired. She was gonna shoot me.”

“It was two photographs and her physique dropping,” he recalled. Ferlazzo then put her physique into the lavatory and, the subsequent day, went to breakfast with household, took a bathe and cleaned up. He informed others that Emily left to go together with buddies … and, at one level, even gave his sister a model new tattoo.

That very same day, in keeping with statements he made to police throughout his confession, he used a hand noticed to dismember Emily’s physique — and allegedly lower off her ft, legs, arms and head, so he might bury her stays within the woods. Baggage containing her stays had been found within the van by police. Ferlazzo additionally informed police that he stabbed her lifeless physique quite a few instances; Emily had stab wounds on her torso and again.

Below cross examination, he mentioned he did not recall speaking to police and had “no reminiscence” of dismembering Emily. He claimed he was “revolted” watching again video of his confession.

Ferlazzo additionally testified he had a “reminiscence of reducing into her leg with a knife and being sick over it,” earlier than prosecutors identified that he informed police he used a noticed. Once more, he mentioned he had no reminiscence.