Trial Begins Against Hempstead Man Accused Of Killing Teen With Machete

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The trial has begun against a Long Island man accused of fatally striking a teen in the neck with a machete two years ago.

During opening arguments Tuesday, prosecutors said David Sadler killed 17-year-old Terrence Grier Jr. when an argument broke out after losing a game of dice at a Hempstead home.

The 47-year-old Hempstead man has pleaded not guilty to charges of second degree-murder and criminal possession of a weapon in the July 2014 attack.

Defense attorneys claim the killing was in self defense as Sadler was being robbed and beaten after he won his money back.

"He won't jump nobody else, put it that way," Sadler said outside of court in 2014. "They jump me, rob me. People was out there, they saw what happened; no one did anything about it."

Prosecutors, however, said it was a revenge killing as Grier wasn't holding anything at the time.

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