WATCH: Joyner Sked’s side of the story

Joyner Sked told the jury, who soon will judge her, she neither murdered nor caused the murder of Umatac mayor Daniel Sanchez. She testified in her defense – unusual in a criminal trial – giving the jury and the public a part of the story even the prosecutor had never before heard.  Ms. Sked was in tears, recounting the events of that day and even offered her condolences to Mr. Sanchez’s family, calling him “a good man, who did so much for my kids.”

Ms. Sked testified she, her boyfriend Rudy Quinata, and Sanchez were engaged in a sexual tryst at Quinata’s home moments before the two men left the room. She then heard a loud thud coming from the other room, Sanchez fall through the doorway with blood on his forehead, and Quinata standing over him in a fighting stance. She then fled, she said.

Corroborating prior witnesses’ testimony, Sked was able to explain the timeline of the events leading up to the murder.  The only contradicting testimony was that of Daniel Sanchez’s nieces Macrina Sanchez and Sirena Yamasta.   Sanchez’s niece testified that Sked had jumped on Daniel Sanchez when she saw him and painted a picture of Sked taunting Quinata.  Sked’s former cellmate, Ms. Yamasta, accused Sked of admitting involvement in the murder of Sanchez, but Sked denied such claims.

Ms. Sked told the jury what happened between Quinata, Sanchez, and herself the night of the murder, “We were joking around about getting intimate, the three of us.  We ended up driving back to Rudy’s house to hang out. We started to fool around, all three of us.”  When asked to elaborate on fooling around and whether there was penetration, Sked said, “Not penetration, oral sex and feeling.”  Referring to Sanchez, Sked continued, “He wasn’t able to perform the way he wanted to, I guess.  So, we kind of just stopped and laughed it off.  And he asked Rudy in Chamorro if I can lay down with him because he wanted to lay down with someone, like to hold someone.  So, Rudy stood up and told me to lay down with him.  So, I laid down and he held me for a little bit and Rudy kind of just watched.”   Quinata eventually left the room and Sanchez got up and went outside too.  Sked heard a bang and saw Sanchez on the ground.  When Sanchez got up, he had a trickle of blood coming down his forehead.  Out of fear, Sked ran to the beach in her underwear and waited for Quinata to calm down.  Worried Sanchez would call the cops, Sked stayed at the beach for about an hour until she saw Quinata walking on the road and he told her they could not go back to their home.

According to Sked’s testimony:

On the run from the law, Quinata and Sked hitched a ride to their friend Victor Cruz’s house in Agat where she was able to find some clothes and shower.  Eventually, the two of them hitched a ride to another friend Joseph Tuncap’s house in Anigua.  Sked testified that she knew she was in a bad situation and knowing that Quinata was afraid of dogs, she ran toward a house in Barrigada with a dog.  Quinata called after her several times and finally left.  Walking along the street, Frederick Dungca recognized Sked and picked her up.  When Dungca took Sked to pick up some money from her parents’ house, her mother told Sked the police were just there looking for her.  Sked asked her mother to give the police Frederick Dungca’s mother’s number to reach her and then left.  When police located Sked, she said, “There’s my ride,” complied, and only wanted to make sure the officers did not alarm the children present at the neighbor’s house of her friend, whom she had expected to visit.

Defense attorney Terrence Timblin asked Ms. Sked if she had anything further to say on the stand.  Ms. Sked replied, “If I knew that flagging Daniel down was going to get Rudy mad, I never would have done it because your dad was a good guy,” she said while looking at Mr. Sanchez’s children and family.  Mr. Timblin asked Ms. Sked if she had murdered Sanchez. “No, I did not,” she replied

Defense has rested its case-in-chief and prosecutor Leonardo Rapadas may call a rebuttal witness when trial resumes at 9 a.m. Friday.