Murder Trial in Shelton Continues with Emotional Testimony

MILFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — The trial of a man accused of fatally stabbing a Shelton teen and injuring others at a 2022 house party entered its seventh day on Friday (28).

Mackenzie Trafecante, a childhood friend of both the accused and the victim, 17-year-old Jimmy McGrath, took the stand and shared text messages from the night of the crime. In one message, she wrote: "I hate you. Someone just called me and said you stabbed someone. You ruined everything, Lito." The defendant, Emanuel Valle, denied the accusations and claimed he wasn’t even at the party.

Another friend of Valle’s, Tyler DaSilva, testified under an immunity deal and stated that he heard the defendant ask for the knife.

The day before, Valle broke down in tears as he listened to his friend Jack Snyder’s testimony. Snyder, who also received immunity, admitted that the knife used in the stabbing was his but claimed Valle took it after an argument over a beer turned violent.

Three others were stabbed that night. Witnesses said Valle and his friends, who attended St. Joseph High School, had ongoing conflicts with students from Shelton High School.

The trial will resume on Monday. Valle faces one count of murder and three counts of first-degree assault.