Accused child killer Trevor Bishop takes witness stand as South Valley murder trial continues

VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- The South Valley man on trial for murdering his girlfriend's three-year-old son testified on his own behalf Wednesday.

Trevor Bishop has been in jail for more than four years, and while testifying at his trial Wednesday, Bishop said he has thought about the case every day.

"Sitting here today, do you know the cause to one vein in jimmy's brain to start leaking blood?" asked Bishop's defense attorney, Ben Smukler. "I do not," Bishop answered.

While taking care of Jimmy Horton and his sister on March 21st, 2013, prosecutors believe Bishop inflicted some sort of blunt force trauma on the boy, causing him to suffer a subdural hematoma, stop breathing, and after nearly a year of being in a coma, die.

Prosecutor Brenda Broker said every doctor that testified during the trial has concluded jimmy's injuries were the result of non-accidental trauma. She said those assessments conflict with Bishop's inconsistent statements to both police and medical staff about what happened that day.

Bishop said Jimmy slipped and hit his head while giving him a bath, that he fell on his head after throwing him up in the air while trying to cheer him up, and that after returning home from a trip to Wal-Mart, he heard a thump, and found Jimmy unresponsive in his bedroom.

"It all happened so fast, and my objective was to get him to somebody that could help," Bishop said. "Well if you had your phone with you, why didn't you call 911?" Broker asked. "I guess I didn't have time to really think, I just thought it would be faster for me to drive him there," Bishop said.

Broker said witness testimony, which included two of Bishop's ex-girlfriends, proved he's a violent and manipulative person, who always wants to be in control, and accuses everyone else of lying.

Bishop said he never abused Jimmy, and his lawyer says prosecutors weren't able to prove what happened to him.

"The starting point in this case is that Trevor is not guilty of anything," Smukler told jurors. "Remember Judge Kalashian explained that in detail, he's presumed not guilty. He is legally not guilty and it remains that way right now. That will never change unless there's a verdict to the contrary."

Closing arguments will resume Thursday, and then the jury will deliberate the case.

If convicted, Bishop faces 25 years to life in state prison.