The state called an expert witness Thursday giving testimony indicating murder victim Lester Childress had engaged in gay sex prior to his death.
Brian Keith Jackson, who is charged with first-degree murder, has denied he is gay. He said Childress performed oral sex on him, then he started stabbing the local nightclub female impersonator when Childress jumped on his back seeking additional sex.
The expert witness said a swab taken from the penis of Childress showed saliva and a swab from his anal area showed semen.
Attorney Steve Jones said he once saw Jackson at The Tool Box, which he said is a known gay bar. He said he did not believe Childress was with him at the time.
The attorney said he first met Childress when he was performing at Alan Gold's, then saw him at the Metroplex. He said he had visited his home several times, but never saw him do drugs.
The state was wrapping up its proof Thursday after with testimony by Medical Examiner Dr. Frank King.
Prosecutor Mary Sullivan Moore in an opening statement called it a premeditated "gruesome, violent, brutal attack" - not self-defense.
She told a jury in the courtroom of Judge Rebecca Stern on Wednesday morning she did not know why it was carried out.
Childress, a 46-year-old singer known to his fans as "Mr. Della Reese," was stabbed 28 times and his body was slashed at his home in North Chattanooga on July 26, 2001.
Attorney Mike Little said Jackson, who was 26 at the time, met Childress on July 7 when he went to the Big and Tall Casual Male store in Brainerd where Childress worked during the day. He said Jackson was with a friend, Bobby Campbell, who was getting married.
He said Childress asked Jackson, "Would you like to go party sometime?" and gave him his card with his phone number.
He said Childress and Jackson later went to The Tool Box and smoked marijuana together. He said on another occasion Childress picked Jackson up and took him back to The Tool Box, where Jackson watched him perform. He said Childress afterward offered Jackson drugs and money to perform sex, but Jackson declined and Childress dropped him off at his home.
Attorney Little said Jackson denies he is a homosexual.
The lawyer told the jury that later Childress called Jackson and wanted to "get together and party." He said Childress went to Georgia to pick Jackson up and took him to his residence at 604 Van Dyke St. about 9 or 10 p.m. He said the Childress house was "dirty, nasty, filthy."
He said Childress gave Jackson "lots of cocaine," then he brought out a TV and VCR. He said Childress then put in a pornographic tape that included 18 scenes of men having sex together in various positions. He said the film had a female give an introduction in which she said the gay lifestyle had become accepted and laws against it had been abolished.
Attorney Little said Jackson finally said he "couldn't watch it anymore."
He said Childress then performed a sex act on Jackson, who then went into the bathroom.
The attorney said when Jackson came out that Childress had taken off his clothes and he jumped on the back of Jackson, trying to have additional sex.
He said Jackson yelled for Childress to get off, but he refused to. Attorney Little said at that point "Yes, it became violent."
He said Jackson was able to get to a knife, and he began stabbing Childress to get him off. He said he had to stab him repeatedly because he would not let go.
He said the 210-pound Childress continued after Jackson, who then took a belt to his neck to try to stop him.
He said Jackson then ran outside, and came back in to get the keys to Childress' car, and drove off in it.
Attorney Little told the jury, "This case is about self defense."
Prosecutor Moore told the jury that Jackson "made a confession. He says he did it. He knows he did it." That statement was played to the jury late Wednesday morning.
She said the attack was so violent that the blade of the knife broke off. She said the belt was used "as if the knife was not enough."
She said the medical examiner would say the use of the belt would not have caused death and that the victim did not die quickly from the stabs.
The prosecutor said Childress "was openly gay. He was proud to be a gay man." She said he "didn't date much. He was monogamous."
She also said he was "fairly mild and meek. He wasn't a confrontational type person."
She said a receipt was found in Childress' vehicle for a "monster combo meal" eaten the night after the murder.
Jackson was picked up in Catoosa County, Ga., two days after the body was found.