CLEARFIELD – Jesse James Campbell, who is accused of killing his mother, Cindy Jo Coleman on March 13 at her Woodward Township home, denied doing so on day three of his capital murder trial.
Campbell, 21, of Houtzdale is currently facing charges of criminal homicide, of both first and third degree murder.
He’s also been charged with involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
During his testimony, Campbell said he neither killed his mother nor had any involvement in the crime.
He also said he didn’t admit to doing so to investigators during his interrogation at the Clearfield State Police barracks on March 13.
His testimony prompted his lawyer, Chris Pentz to ask, “Do you love your mother?”
Campbell replied, “Yes, I love my mother. Of course, I do.”
Pentz also asked for the defendant’s thoughts on the testimony of Cpl. Jeffrey Lee, of the Pennsylvania State Police.
Lee previously testified Campbell showed little remorse during the case’s investigative process.
“You’re telling me that my mother died, and that you think I did it. What in the (explanative) do you want me to feel,” Campbell said.
Pentz then asked the defendant if he killed his mother.
“No, I did not,” Campbell said.
Under cross-examination, District Attorney William A. Shaw, Jr. grilled Campbell about writings in which he depicted “blood dripping” and “skin tearing.”
Campbell said his writings were inspired by dreams and others the Bible.
Shaw asked, “Do you read the Bible?”
Campbell said he not only read the Bible, but was also a devote Christian. He said he had some writings inspired by the book of Romans. In chapter seven, he said men were called sinners.
“Does anywhere in the book of Romans say that you kill your mother with a dull steak knife,” Shaw asked.
Campbell said, “No, it does not.” He claimed he wasn’t the character in his writings.
However, Shaw posed that the writings were still his thoughts.
“Of course, I wrote it,” Campbell said.
Shaw turned to Campbell’s prior testimony, where he confessed to loving his mother.
“You loved your mom so much that you wrote about killing her,” he asked.
Again, Campbell said he wasn’t the character in the writing.
“That was a character in the book,” he said.
When asked if the character loved his mother, Campbell said he wasn’t sure. He said he didn’t finish the book.
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