PHOENIX (AZ Family) — There was an explosive moment in Monday’s first-degree murder trial. In an unusual move, defendant Ares Adle took the stand himself and explained what happened when his aunt was killed in 2019.

He was only 14 years old then.

The jury will have to decide whether first-degree murder is the correct punishment for the crime he admitted to committing at his Sun Lakes home.

“I don’t really remember where I got the knife. I just remember having it,” Ares Adle said on the stand Monday.

The then-teenager was charged with murder as an adult after his aunt. Tonya Harper was stabbed to death at the Sun Lakes home where several family members were staying during a family reunion.

The discussion started on the evening of January 31, 2019.

“What is your first memory of your interaction with Tonya that evening?” the state asked.

“Oh, when we were playing Connect 4 he said, ‘You won’t live long,'” Ares recalled. “She didn’t look like Aunt Tony. He was just like a robot and his eyes were completely blank.

Ares told the court that he went to his own room, where he claimed he called the landline phone in his aunt’s bedroom and repeated these words.

He told the jury he was frightened and started cutting phone lines in the house with a knife, but could not remember how many he cut.

The prosecution told the court this required planning and intent to show that there had been pre-planning.

Ares later told the court he heard Tonya calling his name downstairs. He said he still had the knife in his hand when he heard her calling for him.

“Did you mean to hurt him when he came downstairs?” the prosecutor’s office asked.

“NO. I love Aunt Tonya. I didn’t mean to hurt her. I just didn’t want to hurt myself,” Ares replied.

The State argued that Tonya Harper was asleep and defenseless at the time.

Ares then explained what happened from his perspective.

“He lunges at me, I close my eyes and push the knife forward. I don’t know where I hit. “I just push it forward because I don’t really know what to do at that moment,” Ares said, then became emotional at the podium. “I don’t know how to explain it and then I run.”

According to police reports, Ares took a nap after the murder. His family said the Ares family of Arizona suffered from a form of schizophrenia, but the judge ruled that mental health and illness could not be considered at this hearing.

The state made its real goal clear: Ares confessed to killing his aunt that night.

“As you sit here today, you object that you did this?” he asked the prosecutor’s office.

“No,” said Ares.

Because mental health or illness is unacceptable in this case, the defense points to a lack of actual motive in the case and is fighting for a lesser conviction of first-degree murder.

Ares faces life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder.

We expect closing arguments from both sides in the courtroom Tuesday morning.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report.

Do you have a photo or video of breaking news? To send us here with a brief explanation.

Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.