The preliminary hearing for a Hutchinson man accused of first degree murder is now in recess after the state failed to get all the witnesses in on Thursday.

The case involved Michael Brisco who is charged with two alternate counts of murder for the shooting of 26-year-old Sem Adrien back on September 9, 2013.

Deputy District Attorney Tom Stanton says he has two more witnesses before he will be ready to rest his case. So, Judge Joe McCarville put the hearing in recess until February 24, at 9 a-m.

Testimony Thursday afternoon centered on law enforcement talking about the interviews they did with witnesses in the case. While some were on the stand, they either couldn’t remember statements they made to police or denied or back away from those statements which they made to police after the shooting.

On the stand Thursday morning was Brisco’s girlfriend at the time who testified of being uncomfortable with the victim being in their home. Kristina Edwards testified that she at some point asked victim to leave because he was being rude. She also talked about the physical altercation with Brisco and Adrien that ended up outside. She says she pulled the chrome handgun from her bra which she says she kept for protection. Another man present, Lorenzo Hester took the gun from her. She says she then heard something outside, but wasn’t sure it was a gunshot. She then saw later what she thought was a pile of clothes only to learn later it was the victim lying on the ground. She then didn’t see the gun until Brisco gave it back to her, but later she gave it back to him and then says she never saw it again.

The defense concentrated on her statements on facebook where she stated she did the shooting. She also told a number of others she was the one who shot the victim. She later recanted and admitted she made that all up. She says she still believes Mike Brisco is innocent, but says she didn’t see the shooting.

Also on the stand was Cynthia Cotton who is the aunt to Lorenzo Hester. She testified that sometime after the shooting, her nephew told her that Brisco and another man were fighting. She says he told her, “he really did it now, he may have killed someone.”

The victim had a gunshot wound to his left side according to testimony and was found lying face down. Some of those who tried to help said he had a slight pulse, but was not conscious . He was taken to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center where he died a short time later.