Dan Naylor admitted killing Wayne Lange early the morning of Oct. 29, and claimed to be involved in the practice of Satanism, separate witnesses testified Friday.
Lyle McIntyre, probably the key co-defendant in Naylor's trial for the murder of Lange, testified that Naylor told him he had ``chopped him (Lange) up like a piece of raw meat.'' McIntyre said Naylor made the comment as a group drove back to Rochester from the rural Eyota field where Lange's body was later found.
Meanwhile, Wendall Amstutz, former executive director of Youth for Christ, told jurors that Naylor identified himself as a high priest of a satanic group while speaking to a community education class Amstutz was teaching in 1988.
Both statements came at the close of the second week of Naylor's murder trial. Naylor, 24, faces first-degree murder charges. He is accused of stabbing the 22-year-old Lange to death as five others watched. Testimony is expected to end by Tuesday or Wednesday, and jurors will begin deliberating on a verdict. McIntyre, 20, described by others as one of Naylor's best friends, said he was with Naylor after the other five people involved were dropped off at home when they returned to Rochester from Eyota. He told jurors that he then drove Naylor to a bridge near Sandy Point and watched as he threw Lange's jeans, tennis shoes and leather jacket into the Zumbro River. McIntyre also said Naylor threw his own black tennis shoes into the river.
McIntyre said he couldn't remember much of what happened that night, even though Assistant Olmsted County Attorney Jim Martinson reminded him of statements he had given to authorities after his arrest. Specifically, Martinson noted that in a statement Oct. 31, McIntyre said he saw Naylor grabbing Lange by the hair and then pulling something out from the middle of his back, which McIntyre said is where Naylor had a dagger clipped to his jeans.
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McIntyre said that, as far as he knows, he was telling the truth when that Oct. 31 statement was given, but said ``I have forgotten a lot of stuff.''
Like the four other people involved, McIntyre told jurors he did not know Naylor was going to beat up or kill Lange when they all went for a drive after leaving a beer party.
``I really didn't even think. I just reacted,'' McIntyre said. He said he did not intervene in the fight because ``that was between Dan and Wayne,'' adding ``What could I do? Should I have gone out and gotten beaten up, too?''
McIntyre also commented that he knows now he reacted wrongly and said, ``I am paying my debt for it.'' He has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the Lange death and is now serving a 124-month prison sentence.
All five people involved have testified that Naylor told them at various times he was a warlock or high priest in Satanism. The three women, Jennifer Keller, Michelle Toche and Cynthia Blomgren, have admitted discussing a witchcraft-like plan to confront and humiliate Lange because they believed he had stolen from them and interfered in relationships. But all the women said the plan never got beyond the talk stage. They all also said they were not involved in the occult or Satanism.
Amstutz told jurors that Naylor spoke to a community education class he was teaching on Satanism in 1988 and told that class he was a high priest in a satanic group.
Under cross-examination from defense attorney Terry Walters, Amstutz conceded he had had no contact with Naylor since that class and had no way of knowing whether Naylor continued in Satanism. Walters also asked if Naylor hadn't told the class he was a ``former'' high priest. Amstutz said that was not his understanding.
The trial resumes at 1 p.m. Monday at which time jurors will hear a tape of McIntyre's Oct. 31 interview with authorities.
