But Wednesday, the man who Garuma suspected was seeing his girlfriend denied any such relationship. Garuma, 26, has maintained Estegnet A. Beyene, a 21-year-old Ethiopian national, cheated on him with another Ethiopian immigrant, and he said the sight of them kissing drove him to murder. Garuma pleaded guilty last week to criminal homicide.

The bench trial before Lancaster County Judge Joseph Madenspacher — to decide whether Garuma is guilty of first-, second- or third-degree murder — is expected to wrap up Friday.

Madenspacher also will decide whether he believes Garuma raped Beyene before using a knife to nearly decapitate her inside a Lancaster city apartment.

First Assistant District Attorney Heidi Eakin contends Garuma was jealous and controlling and planned the killing because Beyene was going to leave him.

Defense attorneys Patricia Spotts and David Blanck say Garuma killed Beyene during a spontaneous moment of fury, and that the sex between the couple was consensual.

Awad Mustafa Abdulkadir, the man Garuma believed was trying to steal Beyene from him, testified through an interpreter for about 90 minutes Wednesday.

Ermias Amenti, who reported the slaying to police, and Beyene’s roommates also testified through Ethiopian interpreters Wednesday.

Abdulkadir is a native of Sudan and became a U.S. citizen in 2004. He is a delivery driver for a Lancaster produce company and lived in the same East Hempfield Township apartment complex as Beyene.

Eakin asked Abdulkadir about his relationship with Beyene and encounters with Garuma.

Abdulkadir said he met Beyene in August 2005 at the Wal-Mart in East Lampeter Township. They exchanged telephone numbers and later made plans to go to a nightclub in York.

Beyene told Abdulkadir her name was “Gigi,” and she never mentioned Garuma, he said.

Abdulkadir and his roommate, Hasan Mohamed Abdelrahman, drove to pick up Beyene outside her apartment for the trip to York. Garuma was waiting with Beyene when they arrived, Abdulkadir said.

“I had no idea what they meant to each other,” Abdulkadir said. “We got out and said, ‘Hello,’ then left for the nightclub.”

At first, Abdulkadir said, Garuma wanted to drive Beyene in his car and follow Abdulkadir and Abdelrahman in their Mazda sedan. Garuma later pulled into a gas station off Route 30 and agreed to ride with Abdulkadir.

The group paired off after entering the nightclub, Abdulkadir said, and he didn’t speak with Beyene until closing time approached. Garuma suddenly head butted Beyene, Abdulkadir said.

“(Garuma) hit his head against her head,” Abdulkadir said. “Gigi was shocked. I told Melkamu that it’s not good to hit her.”

Garuma repeatedly apologized to Beyene, Abdulkadir said, but she refused to go with him when they returned to Lancaster County.

“Gigi was upset. She was very sad and had a bruise on her forehead,” Abdulkadir said.

“She was frightened and crying.”

Garuma followed Abdulkadir in his car. He later attempted to get inside Abdulkadir’s apartment but was rebuffed.

Beyene spent three hours with Abdulkadir and Abdelrahman before they walked her home, Abdulkadir said.

About two weeks later, Abdulkadir saw Beyene again. He helped carry groceries from her car into her apartment.

Beyene asked Abdulkadir to stay for coffee, he said, but he insisted on returning home to shower and change clothes. Abdulkadir later came back and spent about two hours with Beyene inside her apartment. Garuma said in a confession to detectives that he was suspicious about an affair and left work that night, Sept. 22, 2005, to spy on Beyene.

Abdulkadir adamantly denied to Eakin and Blanck ever being intimate with Beyene.

“We only talked,” he said.

Garuma found Abdulkadir and Beyene in the apartment.

“I saw them through the french door,” Garuma said in his confession.

“They were on the sofa, kissing and hugging.”

After Abdulkadir left, Garuma convinced Beyene to go to his East King Street apartment.

While at the apartment, Garuma confronted Beyene about being with Abdulkadir. He killed Beyene, then wrote several confession letters before driving to Amenti’s apartment.


Brett Lovelace’s e-mail address is blovelace@lnpnews.com.