WINDSOR – Assistant District Attorney Steve Graham advised the jury to remain clear-headed during the murder trial of Antwan Pittman, while the victim’s family grew emotional during the first day of testimony Tuesday.

“Reason and common sense is something you carry around every day of your life, like pocket change,” Graham said. “Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in things and you have the desire, just like mere pocket change, to abandon your reason and common sense.

“It is important in this case, whatever you hear, to keep your reason and common sense throughout the entire proceeding.”

Defense attorney Tom Sallenger told jurors in his opening statement that Pittman will take the stand during the trial to testify about his “rendezvous” with the victim, Taraha Shenice Nicholson.

Nicholson’s mother, Dianna Nicholson, wiped tears from her eyes as she listened to witnesses testify about the condition and autopsy results of her daughter’s body, which was found March 7, 2009. Autopsy results showed Nicholson was choked to death, which fractured and bruised her neck.

Forensic Pathologist Dr. William Oliver testified Tuesday that Nicholson’s body also showed evidence of dragging shortly before or after her death based on long linear scratches on her torso.

Assistant Pathologist Colleen Tetterton assisted Oliver in the autopsy of Nicholson, collecting oral, vaginal and anal swabs then sending them to the State Bureau of Investigation for analysis.

SBI agent Erin Ermish testified after lunch that tests of the samples led her to believe semen was deposited on her body up to 24 hours before her death.

Sallenger questioned whether Ermish could determine how many people Nicholson had sex with prior to her death.

“If she had relations with Mr. Pittman, do you know how many she saw before or after him? Is there any way to know?” Sallenger asked.

Ermish said there wasn’t any way to tell. She said another SBI agent was instructed to do a DNA analysis of the sample, but Ermish said she could not testify as to the results.

Serological Research Institute Executive Director Brian Wraxall testified he reached the same conclusion about the sample as Ermish. He also testified that the cold temperatures around the time when Nicholson’s body was found would only aid in the preservation of the semen sample.

Graham also called SBI Agent Elliott Smith to the stand who testified he and a female SBI agent interviewed Pittman at Perdue Agribusiness in Bertie County, where Pittman worked in 2008 and 2009.

Smith testified Pittman was asked, as a convicted sex offender, to complete a survey about his sexual habits with questions ranging from partner preferences to whether he had ever had sex with a prostitute. According to the survey, which was submitted into evidence by the state, Pittman said he had never had sex with a prostitute and denied recognizing or ever having sex with Nicholson.

Pittman, 33, also reportedly refused to submit a voluntary DNA sample during the interview, Smith testified.

“You’ve already told him you were with the SBI and you have this young lady in the room and now you are asking him, a man, if he has been with a prostitute?” Sallenger asked Smith.

Smith said “yes.” Sallenger then asked whether prostitution was illegal in North Carolina. Smith again said “yes.”

After a 14-minute interview with Pittman, Pittman returned to work at Perdue and the agents left, Smith testified. Perdue officials said in previous interviews with the Telegram that Pittman was fired on July 14, 2009 – four days after his interview with the SBI agents – for not showing up for work.

After the jury was dismissed for the day, N.C. Superior Court Judge Cy Grant overruled Sallenger’s motion to suppress Pittman’s interview at Perdue.

Testimony in the trial is scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. Wednesday.