Defense: Jealous fiancee, not ex-cadet, killed teen

Defense: Jealous fiancee, not ex-cadet, killed teen

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas (CNN) -- David Graham, a former Air Force Academy cadet on trial for killing a teen-age girl, is innocent because he lied in his confession and wasn't even at the scene of the crime, his lawyer said Wednesday.

The defense says full responsibility for the murder of 16-year-old Adrianne Jones belongs to Diane Zamora, Graham's ex-fiancee. Zamora, a former Naval Academy midshipman, was convicted in February and is serving a life sentence.

Testimony in the trial began after opening statements from defense attorney Dan Cogdell and lead prosecutor Mike Parrish.

Defense, prosecution agree on Zamora jealousy

Cogdell told the jury his 20-year-old client had agreed to confess falsely because he loved Zamora, who was extremely possessive about Graham.

"The evidence is going to show you about a love, about a very strong love between David Graham and Diane Zamora," Cogdell said. "You're going to hear evidence of a jealous woman. You're going to hear evidence of a terrible woman's vengeance."

Prosecutors agree with the description of Zamora's jealous nature, but contend Graham willingly participated in the murder. They say he shot Jones to death in December 1995 after Zamora became furious over his alleged romantic fling with Jones and demanded that Jones be killed.

Graham agreed, Parrish told the jury, even though the sexual encounter never actually occurred. He made up the story "for some reason, which is unknown," the prosecutor said.

"Diana Zamora, not knowing it's not true, goes into a blind, violent rage," the prosecutor said. "She demands the death of Adrianne Jones." To prove his love, Graham went along with the murder plot, Parrish said.

Defense: Graham's confession not true
Zamora and Graham were high school sweethearts when Jones was killed, several months before the couple went off to their respective military academies.


Zamora has been convicted and sentenced to life in prison for her role in the murder


According to their police statements, Graham drove Jones to a remote spot in Tarrant County, Texas. At that point, Zamora, who'd been hiding in the hatchback of the car, hit Jones in the head with a dumbbell weight and Graham shot Jones twice with a handgun.

But Cogdell said on Wednesday that Zamora alone took Jones for a ride and killed her.

He said that Graham had been fearful for Jones' safety because of repeated threats by Zamora, who mistakenly believed the two had had sex.

Graham went alone to Jones' house the night of the murder, looked in her bedroom window and saw she wasn't home, became concerned and went to Zamora's house, where she told him what happened, Cogdell said.

"In twisted moments," Graham agreed that if Zamora ever got caught, he would confess along with her, Cogdell said.

Confessions Graham and Miss Zamora gave police, the alleged murder weapon recovered in the attic of Graham's home and blood stains in a car are among the expected prosecution evidence.

Cogdell is likely to attack the credibility of Zamora and may call her as a witness.