SAN ANTONIO — The jury has begun deliberating in the murder trial for Mark Howerton. Howerton is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, 19-year-old Cayley Mandadi.
Howerton said it happened over a drug and alcohol-fueled weekend around Halloween 2017. He claims the two had sex in a gas station parking lot on their way back from Mala Luna, a music festival. Howerton told authorities Mandadi fell asleep after they had sex. She began to snore and when the snoring stopped, he said he checked her pulse and couldn't find one. He then drove to the nearest hospital in Luling, where Mandadi later died.
Dr. Jason Wallach was called to the stand on Tuesday. He said MDMA, also known as Molly, showed up on Mandadi's toxicology reports. "Sometimes they call MDMA the 'Love Drug'," Dr. Wallach said.
The pharmacologist said the MDMA could have contributed to her death. "The level of MDMA is her blood was 980 nanograms per milliliter," And that's high."
In a Guadalupe County deputy's body camera video, Howerton admitted to having consensual rough sex with Mandadi.
"When we were having sex, I choked her, but it wasn't like, 'kill her,'" Howerton said in the video. "It wasn't like that."
Dr. Wallach said one of the side effects of MDMA is abnormally high blood pressure, which could lead to bleeding in or around the brain.
"Hypertension increases the risk or hemorrhage occurring from any type of head injury and the severity of the hemorrhage that would result," Dr. Wallach said.
Dr. Wallach did not perform Mandadi's autopsy.
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Last Wednesday in court, forensic pathologist Dr. Suzanna Dana was called to the stand. She performed Mandadi's autopsy. Graphic photos from her examination were shown to the jury. Dr. Dana found a "large number of bruises" on Mandadi's face, head, arms and legs.
After reviewing two toxicology reports, Dr. Dana said Mandadi didn't die from anything found in her system. She said "complications of blunt force head and face trauma" is what killed Mandadi.
Howerton faces 5 to 99 years in prison if he's found guilty of killing 19-year-old Cayley Mandadi. The trial continues Wednesday morning.