Covington - The trial of a Pearl River man accused of killing his wife and son aroused a lot of emotion Friday. Testimony focused in on taped recordings made of the defendant, James Magee, in the days before the murders.
Women cried, husbands clutched their wives in court as chilling phone messages from Magee were played for the jury.
Magee, accused of killing his wife and 5-year-old son, shifted in his seat for 25 minutes. In the first full day of testimony, the cousin of Adrian Magee testified about harassment.
To bolster her testimony, she brought a recording of over 40 threatening phone calls made by Magee to his wife in the days leading up to her murder near Mandeville.
In the recordings, Magee taunts his estranged wife, accused her of seeing others, called her names, and repeatedly tells her to call him back. He also tells her he will catch up with her.
The wife and the couple’s three children had moved in with a cousin for safety and had just gotten a restraining order against Magee the day before he allegedly ran her down and fatally shot her and their son.
Testimony showed that Magee’s wife was so fearful for her life, that she hid her car in a parking lot so her husband wouldn't spot it. But she decided to get the car the day before she died because she said she was tired of living like prisoner.
Defense attorneys say Magee was taking drugs and alcohol at the time of the killings. He could face the death penalty if convicted.
