DALTON, Ga. — Aaron Jerome Howell, on trial in Whitfield County Superior Court for murder, can be heard on a video that was played in court Friday saying, “I’m a murderer spiritually.”

The video is of Howell being questioned by Dalton Police Department criminal investigator Matthew Lowery and Detective Chris Tucker on Jan. 7, 2015. Howell is on trial for the murder of Paul Edward Guerrant the night of Dec. 22, 2014.

An acquaintance of Howell’s, James Williams Jr., had testified on Wednesday that Howell had admitted to “killing someone” on Jan. 6, 2015. Howell made the comment about “I’m a murderer spiritually” when the DPD officers asked him about Williams’ claim. Howell said he and Williams had been speaking about religion.

“We were talking spiritual,” Howell told the officers. “We have to deal with certain things in life, we’re spiritually at war.”

During his opening statement on Monday, District Attorney Bert Poston said Guerrant was struck more than two dozen times on Dozier Street with a ball-peen hammer. Guerrant died in a Chattanooga hospital.

Day five of the trial continued Friday with the state calling more witnesses.

Lowery testified that he and Detective Greg Bates went to question Howell on Jan. 7, 2015, at a house on Nelson Street in Dalton where Howell was staying with Williams. Audio of the encounter with Howell was played. He can be heard asking if there is a problem and if he is under arrest.

Lowery told Howell he wasn’t under arrest, but they wanted to talk to him about a homicide, to which Howell replied, “Oh, (expletive).”

“The short of it is your name came up and we have to talk to you,” Lowery said.

Howell was taken to the police department and questioned by Lowery and Tucker.

Tucker testified that when he arrived at Dozier Street the night of the attack Guerrant’s body had already been taken away by medical workers. 

“I observed a large blood pool in front of a SUV,” he said. “I could see blood on the car. That indicated to me that Paul had been beaten where he laid.”

Tucker said the fact that Guerrant’s wallet and cellphone were still on him indicated robbery wasn’t involved.

Tucker said no threats or promises were made to Howell when they talked to him at the police department. He said Howell appeared to be coherent and provided his name, date of birth and Social Security number. Howell was read his Miranda rights and he “appeared to understand those rights.” 

“It seemed he understood what was going on,” Tucker said. “He knew it was a homicide investigation.”  

Howell said on the video he’d heard from “a lady there was a gentleman that used to go to Providence (Ministries) that got killed.”

When asked by Tucker if he knew “Paul,” Howell said he wasn’t familiar with names. 

“I might know him by nickname,” he said. “I’m not familiar unless I see them face to face.” 

Howell said there was a person he met the day before the attack on Guerrant. He referred to him as “Jay.”  

“Jay was my friend,” he said, describing Jay as a “tall white guy, with short or might be dark hair.”

Tucker showed him a picture of Guerrant, which Howell identified as “Jay.” 

When asked where he was the night of the attack between 9 and 10 p.m., Howell said the Mack Gaston Community Center. The 911 call about the finding of Guerrant’s body was at 9:36.

Howell said he and Guerrant walked away from Providence together earlier that day, but went separate ways around 5 p.m.

After the community center closed around 8:50 p.m., Howell said he sat under the pavilion at the center and smoked a cigarette.

Lowery asked Howell if Guerrant, who Lowery said was bisexual, ever made any propositions to him or asked him for “any sexual favors.”

“I never got that close where something like that occurred,” Howell said.

Public Defender Natalie Glaser asked Lowery as part of her cross-examination about Howell refusing to talk to him at one point during the interview. 

Lowery said at times throughout the interview the officers would step out of the room, leaving Howell alone, and view him on a monitor.

One time it “appears he was praying,” Lowery testified. Lowery said he thought he heard Howell say something about “the blood I shed” while looking at Guerrant’s pictures.

Confronted by Lowery about that on the video, Howell denied it and said Lowery was putting “lies in my face.” Howell said he was simply praying over the pictures.

Lowery asked Howell what should happen to the person who killed Guerrant. 

“I can’t say a man should or shouldn’t be punished,” he said. “All I can say is forgiveness and love is the key.”

The trial was to continue on Monday.