TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — A confessed but not convicted killer, Erika Sandoval, continues to testify in her own defense.
The court was back in session Monday as she stands trial for the murder of her ex-husband Daniel Green.
“Did you immediately regret shooting and killing Daniel?” the defense attorney asked Sandoval.
“Of course,” replies Sandoval.
“Do you still regret shooting and killing Daniel?” asked the defense attorney.
“Every day,” Sandoval asked.
Sandoval admitted to shooting and killing Green in 2015.
She told a jury during the first trial that she broke into his home to collect some of their child’s belongings.
Ultimately, a judge declared a mistrial after a 12 to 1 hung jury; most thought Sandoval was guilty.
But the defense says she was a battered ex-wife and a concerned mother.
“I freaked out, I didn’t even know what I was doing. No thought was put into it,” says Sandoval.
In court Monday, Sandoval was cross-examined by the prosecution, including a forbidden video call with her son, from jail, where Sandoval sings, “The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout, down came the rain and washed the spider out.”
Lead Prosecutor David Alavezos asks, “The video proves that you violated those rules, didn’t it?”
Sandoval says, “Correct.”
Alavezos also questioned Sandoval on how exactly she shot Green.
“I don’t even know if I had my eyes open, I just remember… I don’t know, it happened so quickly and so fast. I know I didn’t get near the bathtub. I was scared to get near the tub,” responds Sandoval.
Emotional sound recordings, which showcased the troubled relationship between Sandoval and Green, were played for the jury.
An exchange between Green and Sandoval ends in Green saying, “So I’m going to leave you alone, don’t say a (expletive) thing to me while I’m still here. My brother is coming over, so just keep your (expletive) mouth shut and stay in here.”
A criminal investigator also testified in court on Monday afternoon.
Sandoval will be back in court this week.
The Tulare County District Attorney’s office expects the trial to go for several more weeks, through the month of April and into May.
