CHARLOTTE — A suspect accused of killing a young woman inside a NoDa apartment denied the allegations against him Tuesday while testifying in a Mecklenburg County courtroom.
Lavi Pham is accused of stabbing Mary Collins more than 100 times and raping her. During testimony, Pham told jurors he did not hurt Collins and never had a sexual relationship with her.
Pham said he chose to take the stand so Collins’ family could hear his side of the story.
“Honestly, I want the grandma to hear what I have to say,” he said. “And I want anyone to hear what I have to say even if they don’t believe me or not. At least it’s out there.”
Much of the questioning focused on Pham’s drug use in the year Collins was killed.
“In February, I dabbled a bit in crack, not really proud of that honestly,” Pham testified. “A big thing that happened in 2020 that was becoming a significant problem was meth because after doing cocaine for so long, it just wasn’t working as well so I turned to something stronger and harder.”
Prosecutors also questioned Pham about his relationship with Collins in 2018, two years before her death.
Defense attorneys established Pham as a drug dealer and user who met Collins in high school. They then started dating when he moved back in 2018.
Pham told jurors he ended the relationship because he felt he was bringing too many problems into her life.
Earlier in the afternoon, the judge dismissed the defense’s motion to dismiss a kidnapping charge, saying there wasn’t enough evidence for the charge.
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On Tuesday morning, the prosecution wrapped up its murder case against Pham and James Salerno with two witnesses. One who showed video of interviews after the homicide, and an FBI witness who tracked Salerno’s location with cellphone data.
Collins’s grandmother, Mia Alderman, searched for Collins after she disappeared. She was visibly upset when Pham took the stand.
Alderman said on Tuesday that she has a lot to say but will wait until after the trial, which continues with Pham on the stand Wednesday morning.
Monday’s testimony
On Monday, jurors heard the emotional moment a suspect admitted to police everything she say after Collins was killed.
“I told them I want to go home,” America Diehl said in court. “I don’t want to be here anymore.”
Diehl told police Salerno, Pham and Kelly Lavery made her clean up the crime scene inside their NoDa apartment in 2020.
She says she didn’t see Collins get stabbed to death but says she was forced to see Mary’s body after the fact. It’s the same testimony Diehl gave on the stand last week.
Salerno and Pham are currently on trial for murder.
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