Detective testifies in Elyria murder trial

Detective Daniel Sumpter testified that Nicole Villegas sent threats via text message to Lamar Capers.

Elyria police Detective Daniel Sumpter testified May 2 that Nicole Villegas sent multiple threats via text message to Lamar Capers in the weeks before he was shot and killed.

The revelation came during Sumpter’s second day of testimony in Lorain County Common Pleas Court in the murder trial for Villegas, 34, of Elyria, in connection with the Nov. 24, 2014, shooting of Capers, 32, who was her boyfriend.

The trial is in its second week.

Sumpter told jurors he mined the data from three cellphones connected to the murder — two that belonged to Capers and one belonging to Villegas.

County Assistant Prosecutor Chris Pierre asked Sumpter to read multiple expletive-laden text messages into the court record allegedly sent from Villegas to Capers.

In several of the messages, Villegas told Capers that she’d kill him and claimed she knew he was cheating, Sumpter said.

Under cross-examination by defense attorney Jenifer Berki, Sumpter admitted there were several loving text messages exchanged between the two the day before the shooting, which he chose to not put in his report.

Berki asked Sumpter whether his report is a reflection of the facts or a list of the evidence against Villegas.

“I think it’s my entire investigation in total,” Sumpter replied.

Sumpter also said Villegas was given a psychological evaluation after she told officers she didn’t want to live after the death of Capers.

Despite this concern for her life, Sumpter admitted Villegas had been left alone in an interview room without supervision.

Throughout her cross-examination of Sumpter, Berki maintained Villegas was unwavering in her claim the shooting was not intentional throughout her three interviews with police.

Berki also asked Sumpter whether Villegas’ account of her and Capers’ altercation over the gun immediately preceding the shooting was consistent with the ballistics of his wounds.

Sumpter agreed that it did.

The detective said Capers was found to have a blood alcohol content of .094, over the legal limit to drive a motor vehicle.

“Would you personally hand a drunk felon a gun after he’d just beat you up?” Berki asked Sumpter.

“Absolutely not,” he replied.

The trial was to resume May 3 before Common Pleas Judge Mark A. Betleski.

ERIC BONZAR — THE MORNING JOURNAL The trial of Nicole Villegas, right, resumed in Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Mark A. Betleski’s courtroom May 2. Villegas is on trial for the 2014 alleged murder of 32-year-old Lamar Capers.