CANTON, Miss.- The man charged in killing Jackson State University professor, Garrick Shelton, took the witness stand Wednesday.
Melvin Potts is charged with murder for Shelton’s death on May 21, 2014.
WAPT reports, a witness testified that Potts and Shelton met on Tagged.com, a site to meet and network with people, a month before the stabbing.
Potts told police that they were going to meet up for oral sex. Shelton picked up Potts on St. Charles Street near Ellis Avenue in Jackson on May 2, 2014, they then drove to Shelton’s home in Madison, the witness testified.
When Shelton spotted a gun in Potts’ waistband, he told him to leave, according to the testimony.
Potts said he shot Shelton after the professor cut him with a knife. He said he stabbed him when they were fighting over the knife and claimed it was out of self-defense.
Prosecutors said Shelton was stabbed 18 times.
Potts is accused of taking Shelton’s Xbox, TV and car. Investigators said Potts told police he took the Xbox to give to his brother.
Detectives found several text messages between Potts and Shelton that were sent before the killing.
Both the state and the defense rested Wednesday.
