State v. Braxton

JACKSON, Judge.

Jesse Lee Braxton (“defendant”) and Michelle Russell (“Russell”) had been dating for several months when they moved to Sylva, North Carolina. At approximately 6:00 a.m. on 2 July 2005, Russell returned to the motel room in which she and defendant were staying. She had been out all night with a friend, attending to the friend’s wife who had attempted to commit suicide. Russell testified that she thought defendant had been drinking, and that he was angry at her for staying out. Defendant and Russell began arguing, and the argument quickly became physical. Russell testified that…