Defense for Accused Murderer Questions Marriott Witness

State v. Seth Mazzaglia continues June 6 in Dover, N.H.

DOVER, N.H. – The defense for accused murderer Seth Mazzaglia is working to impeach the state's lead witness, and will continue to question the credibility of his ex-girlfriend when she resumes testimony June 6.

Kathryn McDonough previously testified that Mazzaglia strangled Elizabeth "Lizzi" Marriott to death as he raped her on Oct. 9, 2012.

Defense attorney Joachim Barth fired off a series of questions June 5 to try to impeach the witness – to question the truthfulness of her testimony. He picked apart several texts and messages between McDonough and Mazzaglia, as well as things she said to another witness who was wearing a wire and recorded the conversation for investigators.

The defense argues that Marriott, a 19-year-old University of New Hampshire student, was killed at the hands of McDonough after what began as a consensual sex act. McDonough, 20, is serving one and a half years to three years in prison – with two similar sentences suspended – and agreed to testify against Mazzaglia.

Barth, in his cross-examination, asked McDonough whether or not she believed some of the things she wrote, such as one of her "personas" taking control of her body.

In another exchange, Barth reviewed correspondence in which Mazzaglia, who also called himself "Dark Heart" and "Doomsday," believed himself to have been a dragon in a past life, and that he was fated to fight with McDonough's mother, whom he called "Mother Dragon."

One message referred to her planning to take an emergency medical technician class at UNH. Mazzaglia questioned if "Mother Dragon" would get in her way. McDonough responded with a phrase, "Kill the monster," according to Barth, reading the message aloud.

Did she take this seriously? Barth asked.

A short time later while still on the stand, McDonough replied: "I was still a confused teenager. I was still in high school. I was trying to figure out what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I was spending a lot of time with someone who believed that these things were all real and I was only just questioning it. At times they didn't seem real. Other times I wasn't so sure."

The trial resumes at 10 a.m. June 6 in Strafford County Superior Court in Dover, N.H.

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