THE SUSPECT CHARGED IN THE MURDER OF A MAN AND THE ATTEMPTED MURDER OF A WOMAN AT HER SIOUX CITY APARTMENT LAST SEPTEMBER TOOK THE WITNESS STAND IN HIS TRIAL TUESDAY.
55-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL LANDRUM IS CHARGED WITH FIRST DEGREE MURDER IN THE FATAL STABBING OF 37-YEAR-OLD SALAHADIN ADEM AND ATTEMPTED MURDER OF ADEM’S FIANCE, 44-YEAR-OLD NATASHA DRAPPEAUX, WHO WAS STABBED MULTIPLE TIMES.
LANDRUM DID NOT DENY STABBING EITHER OF THE VICTIMS, AND CLAIMS HE DID IT IN SELF DEFENSE AFTER HE WAS ATTACKED IN AN ARGUMENT OVER HIS CELL PHONE AND ONGOING FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE TWO VICTIMS, WHOM HE SAYS HE HAD GIVEN MONEY NUMEROUS TIMES TO:
LANDRUM1 OC………OUT OF THE KITCHEN. :19
LANDRUM SAYS NATASHA DRAPPEAUX CAME OUT OF HER KITCHEN AT HIM WITH A KNIFE AND TOLD HIM TO GET OUT.
LANDRUM SAYS THAT’S WHEN A STRUGGLE BEGAN WHICH HE DESCRIBED IN GRAPHIC DETAIL FOR SEVERAL MINUTES OF TESTIMONY:
LANDRUM2 OC…………WATCHING HER. :22
THAT STRUGGLE ESCALATED ONCE LANDRUM TRIED TO LEAVE AND HE SAYS IT BECAME MORE VIOLENT OUTSIDE OF THE APARTMENT:
LANDRUM3 OC……..RELEASED THE KNIFE. :24
LANDRUM SAYS HE GRABBED THE KNIFE AND DRAPPEAUX TRIED TO BLOCK HIM FROM LEAVING THE BUILDING.
LANDRUM SAYS THAT’S WHEN HE STABBED HER AND A LONG STRUGGLE BEGAN WITH ADEM, ENDING WITH HIM SUFFERING SEVERAL STAB WOUNDS:
LANDRUM4 OC………HAND LIKE THIS. :24
LANDRUM, WHO WAS A NEIGHBOR OF THE COUPLE, ALSO TESTIFIED THAT HE HAD DRIVEN BOTH VICTIMS AT TIMES TO JOB INTERVIEWS, BOUGHT THEM GROCERIES, ALCOHOL AND CIGARETTES, AND GAVE THEM MONEY NUMEROUS TIMES BECAUSE THEY HAD NO REGULAR INCOME.
AFTER CROSS-EXAMINATION OF LANDRUM, THE TRIAL WAS ADJOURNED FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON.
CLOSING ARGUMENTS AND JURY INSTRUCTIONS WILL TAKE PLACE WEDNESDAY IN WOODBURY COUNTY DISTRICT COURT.
