OCOEE, Fla. — Testimony started Tuesday in the trial of a 20-year-old accused of murdering a homeless man. WFTV was in court Tuesday when the suspect's best friend testified against him.
Prosecutors say John Hawthorne stabbed his victim at least 10 times. He claims it was self defense, but from his friend's testimony it sounded like Hawthorne was the aggressor and wanted 30-year-old Joel Boner off his relative's property.
Cameron Milner said the defendant did flash a pocket knife, but he couldn't say who threw the first punch. Hawthorne is either a man who was forced to defend himself or someone with a chip on his shoulder over a perceived flirtation from an older man.
One argument could mean an acquittal, the other life in prison for the stabbing death of 30-year-old Joel Boner.
"On July 22, 2009, the man that sits here in the courtroom, Mr. John Hawthorne, brutally murdered Joel Boner," prosecutor Ken Lewis said.
Lewis told jurors, after a night of partying and drinking, 20-year-old John Hawthorne and his friend Cameron Milner attempted to cash some lottery tickets at a nearby 7-Eleven. The pair then rode an ATV over to what they believed was a nearby homeless camp.
Boner had a campsite in the woods near Hawthorne's Ocoee home. The property was owned by one of Hawthorne's relatives.
Hawthorne had seen Boner before and told Milner he thought he was gay. Milner described what Hawthorne said.
"He did tell him, ‘You need to leave. I'm going to whoop your ass, I'm not afraid,'" Milner described.
Milner said Hawthorne used a pocket knife to cut Joel Boner's clothesline and his tent. He said Boner walked away and Hawthorne followed.
"I just observed them getting into a brawl," Milner said.
Milner couldn't say who threw the first punch, but he did push Boner off his friend.
Hawthorne's attorney indicated that's when Boner may have suffered his most serious stab wound. Milner, who has not been charged in the case, wasn't as forthcoming when first questioned by police. He admitted Tuesday that he and Hawthorne walked away after Boner asked for help.
WFTV learned that most of Boner's stab wounds were superficial, with the exception of the fatal stab wound to his heart. He was still alive when the first officer arrived on the scene.
The defense has said his client had no idea how seriously injured Boner was.
Previous Stories: June 28, 2010: Jury Selection Starts In Homeless Murder Case
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