Mohammed Haroon Ali, who's being retried in the killing of a former Raiders star's daughter, will be back on the stand today.
According to the Mercury News, during four hours emotional testimony yesterday Ali described the circumstances that led up to a fight in which he choked his girlfriend Tracey Biletnikoff to death on February 15, 1999.
He also revealed that he tried to make her death look like a sex crime in order to throw police off his trail.
Ali and Biletnikoff -- the daughter of former Oakland Raiders wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff -- were both recovering drug addicts and enrolled in drug rehab programs.
Sometimes struggling through tears, Ali told of how he fought with Biletnikoff over his recent drug relapse. They eventually ended up in an office at "Friendship Hall," a meeting place for recovering addicts. The argument escalated and when Biletnikoff tried to stop Ali from leaving the center, they tussled and he strangled her.
After she was dead, Ali said he yanked Biletnikoff's pants off and dumped her body at Cañada College in Redwood City-- in an effort to "stage a cover-up."
Ali's defense has argued that the homicide was a crime of passion, which carries a much shorter sentence than first degree murder.
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This is the second time that Ali has been on trial in San Mateo County Superior Court for Biletnikoff's murder.
He was convicted of first-degree murder in 2001 and sentenced to 64 years to life in prison.
In 2009, an appellate court overturned the conviction stating that prosecutors had improperly dismissed at least one black juror, thus requiring a retrial.
Cross-examination is scheduled to continue today.
