Charles City, IA- The trial for a North Iowa man facing a murder charge is underway.
Richard Cortez of New Hampton is accused of stabbing Kenyon Armstrong to death and hurting two others.
The day started with both sides giving their opening statements. Then prosecutors started calling witnesses.
They started with Kenyon Armstrong's cousin who was at Tori's bar when Armstrong was stabbed.
Tyree Crenshaw says that Friday night in May turned sour after an altercation in the men's room.
"when Cortez said he gotta do what he gotta do, and he pulled out a knife and it fell on the floor, that's when I pushed my cousin out because something was gonna happen," Crenshaw said.
Cyrus Riley was also part of the group that night. He tells jurors he was the first one stabbed.
"I slipped and when I slipped he came after me and when he came after me he slipped too, and as he came down he caught me in the side of my leg," Riley said.
His wound still affects him today.
"A sharp pain in my leg like I'm still getting' stabbed type pain."
Witness Marquis Gentry told the court he saw Cortez make a lunging motion toward Armstrong. Then the defendant started walking toward him.
"And he was starting back towards my way with the weapon, so I swung at the defendant, did you hit him? Yes I did," Gentry said.
The prosecution also called Charles City Police Officer Zach Eckenrod, he says he and another officer tazed Cortez. Prosecutors played an audio recording from the patrol cars dash cam during the proceedings.
All of the witnesses called are identifying Cortez as the person with the knife.
Prosecutors are expecting the trial to continue through the weekend. They'll call more witnesses on Thursday.
No proceedings are happening this Friday because of cutbacks in the state's court system.
