Weston G. Miller consults with his lawyer, J.P. Enbody during a recess in Lewis County Superior Court.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Jurors yesterday heard Weston G. Miller describe the events inside his Centralia home that led him to pull a 9 mm handgun out of his sweatpants pocket and fire multiple shots at a houseguest.
Miller, 30, is charged with first-degree murder for the March 13, 2012 death of 43-year-old David Wayne Carson.
The trial in Lewis County Superior Court which began on Monday is expected to wrap up today.
The only other person who was in the house on B Street – Carson’s girlfriend Sara DeSalvo – has described how she and Carson were inside a bedroom that day and Miller kept coming to the door to tell them to stop arguing.
The former welder did not take the witness stand, but portions of a two-hour taped interview with police were presented to the jury yesterday.
The fragmented interview suggested Miller was rescuing DeSalvo from getting beaten.
Miller indicated he invited DeSalvo to stay in his home and didn’t know she was bringing a boyfriend with her.
Under questioning by two Centralia police officers, Miller spoke of DeSalvo telling him of the things Carson had done to her and that Carson was the kind of guy who would cut someone’s throat.
He said he heard yelling like DeSalvo was getting “choked out”, went to the bedroom and found Carson with his hands all over her.
“I said wait a minute, this is my house, my kid’s room, this is not happening here,” Miller said.
Lewis County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher has described for jurors that three times Miller came to the bedroom door to confront the couple.
Miller, in his interview with police, said he would then stand outside the door listening to the couple.
At one point, he went to the back of the house to get his gun, he said.
In a portion of the sometimes fuzzy audio, it sounds like Miller told police he heard DeSalvo saying why don’t you just go kill him now and Carson saying shut up, shut up.
Miller described Carson whispering in a deep voice.
The final time was when he fired his gun.
“I opened the door and he was like right there, he came right at me,” Miller said.
With what? he was asked.
“Like a “freaking rusty kitchen knife,” was his reply.
Closing statements will be heard this morning in the Chehalis courtroom.
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For background, read “Centralia murder trial: Self defense or premeditated?” from Thursday May 9, 2013, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter