The prosecution rested its case Monday, the first day of the homicide trail for Nathan D. Michael, 29, of Butler Township who has been charged with shooting Joseph Derenzo in June 2024.

Derenzo was 38 on June 24 last year when he was killed. Michael claimed he acted in self-defense in the killing.

Testimony presented to a Butler County Common Pleas Court jury included Michael’s call to 911, his recorded interview with Butler Township police and recordings of phone calls Michael made from prison. Testimony from Derenzo’s girlfriend, police, an emergency medical technician and the forensic pathologist who conducted the autopsy was also presented.

In his opening statement, assistant district attorney Robert Zanella said Michael gave many different versions of what led to the shooting in the calls and recordings. He argued none of Michael’s accounts match the evidence and the shooting was cold-blooded murder.

Defense attorney R. Anthony Deluca said Michael told one story and told different parts of that story in the calls and recordings. He said Michael shot Derenzo in self-defense as he was reaching for a gun.

In the 911 call, Michael tells a dispatcher he shot a man five or six times during an argument and he was lying on the floor of his garage in his town home on Spooner Lane.

“He was right in front of me,” Michael tells the dispatcher.

An emergency medical technician who responded said Michael told him the man he shot was “tweaking.”

Derenzo’s girlfriend, Shelby Marianna, testified she, Derenzo, Michael, and Michael’s girlfriend and her son spent the weekend at Michael’s camp without incident. She said she and Derenzo then went to Michael’s home at 8 or 9 p.m. Monday, June 24, 2024, to get money for gas.

Marianna said Derenzo and Michael began arguing and Michael had a gun in his hand.

She said she and Michael’s girlfriend went to an upstairs bedroom, which was two floors above the garage, and watched TV. Michael made three trips to the bedroom about 10 minutes apart and told her not to go downstairs, she said.

Marianna said she heard gunshots but didn’t hearing arguing before the shots were fired. She said she and Michael’s girlfriend tried to run downstairs, but Michael would not let them.

Eventually, she said, she went to the door of the garage and saw Michael putting away a gun and Derenzo lying on the floor, but didn’t see an AR-15 style gun in the garage.

In her recorded interview with police, Marianna said she would not have been able to hear arguing from the bedroom.

Forensic pathologist Todd Luckasevic said Derenzo was shot six times from at least three and half feet away. Two fatal shots entered the left side of his chest and struck his heart, lung and liver. One shot entered his left upper arm and armpit, and another hit his butt. Two other fatal shots entered through the right side of his back and struck his aorta, Luckasevic said.

A toxicology test found signs of marijuana use, a healing surgical wound was found on his right shoulder and a bullet was recovered from his left shoulder.

Township police Det. Tyler Collins said state police who processed the scene found an AR-15 on a tool box and six casings from fired 9 mm cartridges and four 9 mm bullets in two locations in the garage.

In his recorded interview with police, Michael said he tried to get Derenzo to leave, called him a child molester and pulled his gun while Derenzo was reaching for another gun.

He told police during the interview about a previous incident, saying Derenzo pulled a gun on him at his camp and shot himself in the shoulder as they struggled for control of the gun. He said Derenzo told him he was going to kidnap his daughter.

At his home on June 24, Michael said he called Derenzo a child molester and Derenzo tried to push his way into the house from the garage. Derenzo refused to leave, Michael said in the interview.

He then told police that Derenzo made a move for his gun.

Michael went on to say Derenzo reached for his own waistband and the AR-15, so he shot him at point blank range.

In four recorded phone calls, Michael said Derenzo tried to grab a gun he had in his hand and reached for an AR-15; Derenzo pushed him and he retreated as far as he could; he pulled a gun on Derenzo after he said things about his daughter and he would probably plead insanity; and Derenzo pushed his way inside, he pushed him out and shot him.