An Atlantic City man accused of killing his girlfriend in her Pleasantville home claims it was an accident.
Lamar Pitts, 36, was ordered held in jail Wednesday, after a detention hearing before Judge Dorothy Garrabrant.
"All the evidence shows this was an accident," defense attorney Durann Neil told the judge.
Pitts, 36, called 911 after the shooting, leaving the phone at one point to go into the yard and hide the stolen 9mm handgun in the woods, according to the charges.
Video shows him going out the back door, which had blood on it, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Seth Levy told the judge.
A K-9 dog led police to the weapon, he said.
"That's panicking, that's not obstruction," Neill countered, saying his client could have left and said nothing.
Instead, Pitts tried to render aid, called for help and stayed at the scene, he said.
He also was charged with aggravated manslaughter, rather than the higher charge of murder, Neill pointed out, saying this showed the state also saw it was not premeditated.
"There is no such thing as an accident in legal terms," Levy said.
Neill said the charge likely should have been involuntary manslaughter.
He did not indicate how his client claims the gun was discharged.
But Levy pointed to an incident a week before the killing, in which a witness said Pitts brandished what looked to be the same gun at Martin-Richardson during an argument.
Pitts did not speak during the hearing, which happened at the same time as a celebration of life for the victim was being held at the All Wars Memorial in Atlantic City.
Martin-Richardson, who was known as "Mookie," worked as an Atlantic City ambassador. She is survived by her two sons, who were home at the time of the killing.
