Defendant in Trial of Slain Chatham Priest Breaks down on Witness Stand, Forces Early Adjournment, by Ben Horowitz, The Star-Ledger , December 12, 2011

Defendant in Trial of Slain Chatham Priest Breaks down on Witness Stand, Forces Early Adjournment

By Ben Horowitz
The Star-Ledger
December 12, 2011

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/12/defendant_in_trial_of_slain_ch.html

Jose Felicano defendant; testifies in his own trial for the murder of Father Edward Hines of St. Patrick Church in Chatham, during his trial in Morristown. 11/28/11 Photo Jerry McCrea/The Star-Ledger

Murder defendant Jose Feliciano’s fifth day of cross-examination was cut short today after his emotional outbursts prompted an early adjournment of court.

Feliciano broke down twice in less than an hour of testimony, under questioning about what happened during and immediately after the killing of the Rev. Edward Hinds, pastor of St. Patrick Church in Chatham.

Feliciano has admitted stabbing Hinds on Oct. 22, 2009, but said he was provoked when the priest fired him after extorting sexual services for four years. The prosecution asserts the sexual allegations are fiction, and Feliciano planned the killing after Hinds learned of outstanding charges against the janitor.

The former church custodian, his head bowed sadly from the outset, broke down for the first time when Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi questioned him again about the bag he used to carry bloody rags and towels from the rectory where Hinds was stabbed to death.

Bianchi wanted to know why Feliciano had told an investigator two days after the killing, and testified last week, that he put the evidence in a black bag. Then he testified it was a yellow grocery bag after Bianchi showed a picture of the yellow bag in court.

"Why should I lie?" Feliciano shouted, teary-eyed. ""I told you I put all the rags in a bag.

"I am guilty of killing the priest," Feliciano continued. "What do you want me to do? I killed a priest, all right?"

Feliciano broke down again about 15 minutes later when Bianchi pressed him about his testimony he and Hinds struggled after both fell to the floor during the attack.

Showing Feliciano a photo of the priest lying dead on the floor, Bianchi said, "You weren’t really rolling around the floor. You were standing there and he was on the floor and you were stabbing him."

"No sir," Feliciano shrieked, breaking into tears. "We were rolling. Please don’t say that."

Feliciano’s public defender, Neill Hamilton, said he had made a "mistake" in letting Feliciano testify today after he had said he had a headache and a backache.

Bianchi is expected to finish his cross-examination Tuesday.