Letcher trial testimony: Victim, bleeding, worried only for dying friend
Channel: Mountain Top News
Date: 2017-12-09

Cross examination of prosecution witnesses continued Friday in Letcher Circuit Court in the murder trial of James Huffman IV.

Matthew Blackburn, the prosecution's first new witness Friday answered questions regarding several factors of the case of the stabbing death of 24-year-old Michael Hogg. Those factors included the allegedly stolen bottle of whiskey that may have sparked the News Year's Day 2014 stabbing incident that claimed Hogg's life.

Matthew Blackburn was the man that drove Huffman and Patrick Smith to Whitesburg on News Year's Eve 2013. The three planned to watch a concert at Summit City Lounge. Blackburn said Huffman brought the bottle of whiskey over from Hogg's vehicle after sitting in the vehicle with two females, who had been a part Hogg's party. He claimed, Blackburn testified, that the females gifted him the bottle.

Blackburn said he later left Smith and Huffman in Whitesburg after he and Smith got into a fight when Blackburn was attempting to leave and return home after the turn of the new year. The bottle of whiskey was later found in the vehicle Blackburn had driven to Whitesburg on New Year's Eve.

The prosecution next called Christopher Puckett, who was the first man allegedly stabbed by Huffman the night Hogg was killed. Puckett acknowledged that Hogg was angry that Huffman allegedly took his bottle of whiskey and that he, Hogg and Stacy Phillips went to attempt to get it back. He also said the exchanges between Hogg's group and Huffman and his co-conspirator in the stabbing, Patrick Smith, were peaceful leading up to the stabbing incident.

Puckett said Huffman "sucker punched him," and when Puckett began to fight back, Huffman stabbed him in the back. Puckett said Hogg then went after Huffman. The next thing Puckett saw, he testified, was Huffman and Smith on top of Hogg.

It was while the group was fleeing from Huffman and Smith, Puckett said, that he only then discovered Hogg had been mortally wounded. Hogg succumbed to his injuries shortly after. Puckett has since recovered from his life-threatening knife wound.

Cross examination of prosecution witnesses continued throughout the rest of Friday's hearing, and is expected to continue Monday.

James Huffman IV is facing a murder charge and several counts of attempted murder. Patrick Smith has been charged with complicity to commit murder and several counts of attempted murder. Smith is being prosecuted separately, but a trial date has not yet been set in his case.