Trial under way in killing of woman through her door

Erica D. Johnson

Wednesday, March 10, 2004 | 9:46 a.m.

Testimony was under way Tuesday in the murder trial of a North Las Vegas man charged with killing a 26-year-old woman by firing bullets through her closed apartment door.

Aaron Lamont Eagles, 21, faces murder charges in the May 18 shooting that killed Jessica Korschinowski, 26, and injured her boyfriend, Charles McDonald, 33.

Authorities say the shooting was sparked by an argument between Eagles and McDonald at the apartment complex at 1505 W. Cartier Ave., where both men lived. Defense attorneys claim the gunman actually was a man named Gino James, an associate of Eagles who was at the scene when the shooting occurred.

At issue Tuesday was the testimony of McDonald, who was shot in the elbow but has recovered. He said Eagles fired several shots through the apartment door moments after he punched Eagles near the doorway.

McDonald said he could hear commotion through the closed door before the shooting and that he heard Eagles say, "Give it to me. Give me that thing." He assumed Eagles was referring to a gun.

McDonald said Eagles then began kicking the door.

Intuition told him to try to move Korschinowski away from the door, McDonald said, but several gunshots rang out before he could reach her.

"Just from what I heard on the other side of the door I knew in my heart to grab Jessica, but it just wasn't fast enough," he said.

When Eagles realized he'd shot Korschinowski, McDonald said, he entered the apartment and apologized.

"He (Eagles) said I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that. Please don't tell on me," McDonald said.

Under cross-examination by defense attorney Chris Oram, McDonald, a convicted felon, admitted that he lied to police when he told them that he looked through a back window and saw Eagles walking toward the apartment with a gun.

On Tuesday McDonald said he never saw Eagles with a gun.

McDonald said he was too emotional after the incident to remember specific details about the shooting.

"I was barely moving, I'm hurt, and I can't believe what just happened," he said. "Everything was happening so fast."

Closing arguments in the trial were expected to begin this morning.