An Escondido gay man was ordered July 16 to stand trial for murder in the stabbing death of his partner of 15 years.
Six witnesses testified in the preliminary hearing of Ehren Lee Dragt, 35, who is charged with killing Michael Leon Campbell, 44, April 25 in a bedroom of their residence in the 2000 block of Lee Avenue in Escondido.
Dragt made some admissions to an Escondido police detective about the night in which Campbell was killed. He also made some spontaneous comments as police officers processed the scene.
Police were alerted to his residence from someone out of state who called and said an act of domestic violence may have occurred. Dragt was despondent and reportedly crying when officers arrived.
A deputy medical examiner testified that Campbell had three knife wounds, but he was killed by a puncture to the heart. The deputy medical examiner was the same person who examined the body at the scene and performed the autopsy.
Campbell was cut on his left clavicle and he had a small superficial neck wound. It was estimated that Campbell was killed around 1 a.m. and officers found the body around 11 a.m.
At 2:27 a.m., that same morning, Dragt wrote “I want to apologize for anyone I have wronged” on his Facebook account. He did not elaborate further and has been in jail since.
Officers recovered two kitchen knives with wooden handles in the sink. There was no blood on them, but they may have been washed before they were found, said Deputy District Attorney Ben Barlow. No DNA evidence was presented.
Dragt’s attorney did not respond to a reporter’s calls after the hearing ended in Vista Superior Court. Judge William McGrath, Jr. set a trial date for Jan. 21, 2016.
Dragt worked for a Goodwill Industries store in La Mesa and Campbell was the former owner of Campbell’s Pool and Patio. They met in Oregon and had been together since 1999.
No neighbors were called to testify, and several told TV reporters that day that they never heard the couple quarrel. One neighbor said she would be caring for the couple’s cat.
Dragt pleaded not guilty at the end of the hearing. He remains in the Vista Detention Facility on $1.5 million bail.
