SANDPOINT — Michael Ryan McDermott waived his constitutional right to remain silent Wednesday to take the witness stand to defend himself against a charge of second-degree murder for the shooting death of Robert Cameroen Hegseth Wohali earlier this year.

McDermott testified that he opened fire on Hegseth Wohali after he advanced on him while wielding a double-headed ax outside a recreational vehicle parked at Evergreen Towing in March.

“Rob was standing in the doorway with an ax and he was coming at me,” McDermott told jurors.

The state has argued that McDermott shot Hegseth Wohali in a fit of jealous rage after discovering his former girlfriend had restarted a relationship with Hegseth Wohali.

McDermott denied that allegation, telling jurors he was more disappointed that his former girlfriend, Alicia Flynn, had taken up with somebody she claimed had previously beaten her and made her feel unsafe.

McDermott’s claim of self-defense emerged in a third interview with Sandpoint Police investigators Michael Aerni and Skylar Ziegler, a couple of weeks after Hegseth Wohali’s body was discovered down an embankment on Gold Hill. In two earlier interviews, McDermott repeatedly denied seeing Hegseth Wohali on the night in question or that he was involved in an altercation with him. He also denied knowledge of Hegseth Wohali’s whereabouts.

Wednesday’s proceedings opened with a dispute over whether recordings of the two initial interviews would be heard by jurors. The defense argued their probative value was outweighed by their prejudicial effect, while the state maintained that jurors should know that McDermott lied no less than 59 times over the course of the two interviews.

First District Judge Barbara Buchanan ruled the recordings were not overly prejudicial and allowed their admission due to their relevance.

McDermott, 47, struggled to explain in the third interview why he lied, but said he suspect it was out of shock and self-preservation.

McDermott struggled similarly when presented with the same question on the witness stand by Public Defender Janet Whitney.

“I don’t know. To protect myself. I don’t know why,” McDermott testified.

Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall sought to impeach McDermott’s credibility on the question of rage and jealousy.

Marshall presented text messages to jurors in the days leading up to the shooting in which he curses out Flynn for admitting to being unfaithful with another man while they were dating and asks who else she’s slept with.

“This sucks because I love you,” one of the texts from McDermott to Flynn read.

Marshall also noted that McDermott admitting to police that he cursed Flynn out on the night he discovered her with Hegseth Wohali and argued that the shooting was something of an ambush.

“You were waiting for him to come out,” said Marshall.

The trial resumes today.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.