Johnathan Edward Ellison

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An expert state witness testified that a bloody fight took place in the living room of the Dade County man on trial for murder.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Audie Murphy was called as an expert witness this morning during the trial of 19-year-old Johnathan Ellison on charges of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault and armed robbery in Dade County Superior Court.

Ellison and 27-year-old James Oglesby, whose trial is next year, were charged in the death of Antwane Hyatte, of Chattanooga.

Murphy testified that, when he arrived at Ellison's house on Sand Mountain around 9 p.m. on March 16, he found two knives in the living room, one under a window and a double-bladed knife in the corner of the room.

The knife underneath one of the four living room windows was bloody on the tip and the handle, according to photos entered as evidence in trial. A corner window also was broken and several bloody hand prints were smeared on the blinds, another photo showed.

"Obviously, there is a big struggle that took up the front of the room," Murphy told the jury.

The jury was also shown photos of Hyatte's body, shocking several female jurors. The photos showed Hyatte had been stabbed multiple times on his back, chest and face.

Ellison's defense attorney Steven Miller will continue cross-examining Murphy when court resumes at 1:15 p.m.

For complete details, see tomorrow's Times Free Press.