In the span of 5 minutes, Christopher Dugan walked into his friend’s home and died.
Tuesday in Columbia County Superior Court, Assistant District Attorney Ashley Muller told the jury in her opening statement that was how much time passed before Christopher Dugan, 29, died with three bullets fired into his back March 15, 2018, at Lee Conner’s Grovetown home.
Conner, 34, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in Dugan’s death.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this case is about self defense,” defense attorney Kristi Connell told the jury in her opening statement.
There’s no question Conner shot Dugan. The issue for the jury will be why, Connell said.
Conner and Dugan were friends. Dugan and other friends had been at Conner’s home earlier in the day, hanging out. They were supposed to help Conner build a shed. Robbie Meek told the jury Tuesday that he and Dugan left in the late afternoon.
Around 10 p.m., Conner’s wife, Melissa Conner, texted a friend. Conner was hitting and choking her, she wrote that night. She was hiding out in the bathroom. She wanted someone to come and get her.
Tuesday, however, she told the jury she had exaggerated, that it was just a verbal argument with her husband that night until she was the one who got physical, throwing beer bottles at Conner and knocking over the kitchen table, she testified.
Her friend sent her boyfriend at the time to go check on Melissa Conner. He convinced a reluctant Dugan to go with him, the prosecutor told the jury.
“It looked like a tornado had literally started in this house,” he testified. The kitchen was torn up, a TV was busted up. Dugan asked Conner if he was OK, and Conner said “No,” the boyfriend testified.
Conner then pulled a gun from his pocket, pointed it at Dugan and puller the trigger twice. But the gun didn’t fire, the boyfriend said. He and Dugan started to leave, as Conner headed down a hallway. The next thing he knew Conner shot Dugan, he testified. They had only been inside for minutes.
Testimony continues today.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter covering courts for The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.
