Suspect has no explanation for murder

“Things that begin hot end cold, right?” Corradino said, showing a close-up of Todd’s blood-streaked face taken before police moved her body from the beach.

BRIDGEPORT — Awkward. Confused. Played with. Degraded. Overwhelmed. Suicidal.

Brandon Roberts used several words to describe his feelings during a brief, on-again off-again relationship with Emily Todd, the 25-year-old Bethel homicide victim Roberts is on trial for allegedly killing on Dec. 8, 2018.

But, he said from the witness stand, he still can’t explain exactly why he took a pistol from his waistband as Todd walked along a narrow strip of sand near the public boat launch on Seaview Avenue, raised it to the back of her head, and pulled the trigger — despite, he testified, thinking she might be pregnant with his child.

“I really didn’t know why,” he said of the shooting during questioning from Assistant Public Defender

Tracy Jo Mathis. “And I had no explanation.”

He said police interviewing him following his arrest six days after the homicide put words in his mouth about needing money, so he agreed with them.

“I knew that would give some type of justice so I went with that,” he said. “I honestly didn’t know. I had no explanation and no reason at all.”

Mathis asked him to explain what happened the night he shot Todd.

“I was overwhelmed with a lot of things due to my current living situation,” he said, describing himself as homeless, and unsure about plans the two had discussed about moving to the Boston area.

He said he was also unsure if Todd was pregnant, and if so, whether or not she would have an abortion. And he had no one to talk to about the emotions involved.

“Did some or all of those things influence your behavior that night?” Mathis asked.

“Yes,” Roberts said. Roberts’ lawyers also introduced explicit texts Todd had sent to Roberts, some of which used the “N” word. Roberts said he felt “awkward and a little degraded” by the messages.

While cross-examining Roberts, State’s Attorney Joseph Corradino pointed out the sexting was “not a one-way street,” citing examples Roberts had sent to Todd.

The prosecutor repeatedly noted Roberts didn’t have a gun to his head.

“You could have gotten into your car, and you could have driven eight hours back to Ohio. And you never would have had to shoot her in the head?” the prosecutor asked Roberts.

“Correct,” Roberts replied. Corradino disputed Roberts’ testimony that he had been suicidal, after which Roberts asserted he had been at least “a couple times,” but said “something stopped me,” referring to a higher power.

“Thank God that it did,” Corradino said. “But a higher power didn’t stop you from shooting Emily in the back of he head, did it?”

“Of course not,” Roberts. “I apologize for that.”

Toward the end of the 45-minute cross-examination, Corradino quoted a text Roberts sent to Todd saying that “a hot moment has a cold ending,” referring to their turbulent relationship, which he said was “based on lust.”

“Things that begin hot end cold, right?” Corradino said, showing a close-up of Todd’s blood-streaked face taken before police moved her body from the beach. “It was pretty cold when you created that, wasn’t it?” Roberts paused. “That is a cold way,” he said.

Roberts’ trial began Monday in state Superior Court in Bridgeport before Judge Alex Hernandez.

After he left the stand, Public Defender Joseph Bruckmann rested his case, and the judge dismissed the jury until closing arguments Monday.

On Tuesday, Todd’s mother took the stand for roughly three hours and recounted her daughter’s brief relationship with Roberts, which police said Todd ended soon after it began.

On Wednesday, Corradino played video of Roberts’ confession to police following his arrest at his father’s house in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Corradino rested his case Thursday.

If jurors are convinced Roberts was acting under extreme emotional distress they could find him guilty of a lesser manslaughter charge. He is also charged with felony murder, firstdegree robbery and carrying a pistol without a permit.

Todd’s death sparked debate about numerous issues, including Connecticut’s gun laws and Bridgeport’s response to a 911 call from Todd about a week before the killing.