Testimony winds up in North Dakota murder trial

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — An Oklahoma City man charged in an alleged murder-for-hire scheme says the “bad thing” he did was trust the man accused of hiring him to kill a Fargo dentist.

Testimony wrapped up Wednesday in the trial of Michael Nakvinda, who's accused in North Dakota state court of beating Philip Gattuso to death with a hammer in October 2009. Authorities believe Gattuso's former father-in-law, Gene Kirkpatrick, paid Nakvinda $3,000 to kill Gattuso. Nakvinda claims he was framed.

Nakvinda testified Wednesday that Kirkpatrick never talked to him about killing Gattuso. The defendant said he went to North Dakota to pick up a Porsche as a favor for Kirkpatrick, but was never in Fargo.

Nakvinda said his mistake was relying on Kirkpatrick to “do the right thing.”

Closing arguments are scheduled for Thursday morning.

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