Prosecutor: Fujita's Behavior at 2009, 2011 Wayland Parties is Relevant

Whether events at two parties in 2009 and 2011 are relevant in the Lauren Astley murder case will be decided by a judge, leading up to the February trial of Nathaniel Fujita, accused of killing ex-girlfriend Astley on July 3, 2011.

At a continued pre-trial hearing Tuesday, Jan. 29, (see Monday's coverage here) Middlesex Superior Court Judge Peter Lauriat heard from Prosecutor Lisa McGovern and Fujita's attorney, William Sullivan, on what evidence should be allowed at trial, including whether Fujita’s actions at a June 23, 2009, party and a June 4, 2011, graduation party should be admissible.

Astley and Fujita began dating the spring of their freshman year at Wayland High School, and broke up several times during their three-year relationship. Their final breakup was in April 2011, a month before they graduated. 

At a party at a classmate’s house on June 23, 2009, when Fujita and Astley were in 10th grade, McGovern said witnesses saw Fujita become enraged when told Astley, whom he was broken up from at the time, had been seen exchanging a kiss with a classmate on the dance floor at the party. 

Witnesses say Fujita began swearing, then approached the boy and began throwing punches, McGovern said. An adult host of the party got between the two, while other classmates restrained Fujita, McGovern said. Fujita also pushed a girl trying to calm him, the prosecutor said.

While waiting with several classmates at the end of the driveway for a ride from the party after the incident, witnesses say Fujita said he wanted to kill the boy who had kissed Astley, and "slit his throat and smash his head off a rock, then piss on him,” McGovern said.

The incident illustrates “prior bad acts” on the part of Fujita, McGovern explained, and demonstrates motive, intent and Fujita’s mental state. However, Sullivan told the judge the 2009 party is irrelevant because it happened two years before the murder, and Astley and Fujita got back together subsequently and dated for more than a year leading up to their final breakup.

Sullivan also said Fujita’s actions at a June 4, 2011, graduation party are not relevant.

At that party, McGovern said Fujita was acting bothersome toward Astley, who asked him multiple times to leave her alone. A friend of Astley’s saw Astley ask Fujita to leave her alone, as they stood under a tent at the party. Fujita got mad and propelled himself into a tent pole, nearly knocking the tent down, McGovern said.

When the girl whose family was hosting the party asked Fujita to leave, he called her names. Eventually, Fujita left the party and was picked up by his mother, McGovern said. After arriving home, Fujita was heard yelling at his mother, McGovern said.

What the incident at that party would show the jury, McGovern said, is that Fujita was hurt the relationship had been called off, and his ego couldn’t handle it.

Sullivan said the actions described at the graduation party are not relevant and should not be admitted, because they happened a month before Astley’s murder, and it was not a situation of Fujita stalking Astley. 

Judge Lauriat took the arguments about the two motions under advisement, and made no ruling on whether to allow the prosecution to discuss the parties at trial.  

McGovern noted during her arguments that several of Fujita and Astley's classmates would likely be called as witnesses during the trial, though the aim was to keep that number to a minimum.

McGovern and Sullivan were able to reach agreement on several other motions, including one not to include a list Astley had written of reasons she should break up with Fujita in opening statements, though it may be brought up later in the trial. 

Fujita appeared in court Tuesday wearing a white button-down shirt. As he left the courtroom following the hearing, he paused briefly and appeared to make eye contact with and wave to his mother, Beth Fujita, who was seated in the courtroom gallery.

Fujita's next court date is scheduled for Feb. 8 in order to conduct any final business prior to the trials start on Feb. 11.