CALDWELL COUNTY (KXAN) — Sarah Todd took the stand first in the murder trial for the man who is accused of killing her boyfriend two years ago.

Martindale resident Terry Turner is on trial for the first-degree murder of Adil Dghoughi.

KXAN’s Jala Washington is in court providing live updates on social media platform X:

During her testimony, Todd talked about the happy times between her and Dghoughi.

“I had never had another human being smile at me the way he smiled at me,” Todd recalled from her and Dghoughi’s first date at Little Woodrow’s in 2020. “I knew instantly this was someone I wanted to be with.”

Todd said the two met on Facebook, and began dating after a month of meeting. The couple, who lived in San Marcos, would spend a lot of their time at Zilker Park, at the river or thrifting, Todd testified to the court.

“He was great at talking people down, which I thought was a gift,” Todd said with a laugh. “He loved Goodwill.”

A fun weekend of football with family, turned deadly

Todd’s laughs turned to tears when she began talking about some of her final moments with Dghoughi.

Todd said on Oct. 10, 2021, she and Dghoughi decided to go to the San Antonio area to watch the Dallas Cowboys game at Todd’s cousin’s house.

She testified they drank mostly beer throughout the day, having a fun day of football with family.

Early the next morning, Todd said she and Dghoughi got into an argument. She wanted to stay at her cousin’s house there in San Antonio, and Dghoughi wanted to drive back.

From there, Dghoughi had walked outside. Todd said she followed him and then left him out there. Todd would go on to tell police that Dghoughi verbally abused her and spit on her. Testimony revealed Todd told police there was a history of Dghoughi physically abusing her as well.

The next morning, Todd woke up and she said Dghoughi was gone. He took her keys from her purse, and took her car.

Shortly before dawn, that’s when she got the call that would change everything.

“I thought it was a car accident… I thought he was OK.”

Todd had just gotten off the phone with her mother, trying to track down where Dghoughi might be.

Shortly after, Todd testified police showed up to her mother’s home in San Antonio and said there had been an accident and needed to speak with Todd.

Todd said her mother picked her up from San Antonio, and took her to the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office.

She testified she was made to believe by officers that Dghoughi was in a car accident. She said she assumed he wrecked her car because he had been drinking, and was arrested.

“I thought it was a car accident,” Todd testified. “I thought he was OK.”

Todd recalled even being upset with Dghoughi, and asked officers if she needed to do anything to protect herself legally since he was driving her car. She went on to tell the court she had never been in trouble with the law.

About an hour and a half of being at the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, Todd said that’s when she was told Dghoughi had been shot and killed.

“I felt sick.. they totally took advantage of me in my weakest moment of my life… they berated me, until I gave them what they wanted, knowing he had been shot,” Todd said.

Todd said she and her mom left shortly after to go to the hospital in Kyle where Dghoughi was. She told the court she never got to see him.

According to Todd, Dghoughi was on life support for three days before he died.

The 911 call: “I just killed a guy. Send somebody quick.”

Terry Turner woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom when he noticed a car in his driveway, according to his attorneys.

They said he went outside to confront the driver, who would turn out to be Dghoughi. Turner’s attorneys said Dghoughi was parked toward the front of Turner’s driveway, the car partially hidden by a camping trailer.

“As he opens door, he sees lights come on,” Turner’s attorneys said in opening arguments. “He thinks whoever is in that car has stolen something from him… and he’s yelling ‘stop.'”

According to Turner’s attorneys, Turner ran back inside, got his gun and approached Dghoughi as he was speeding off back out of the driveway, on Turner’s lawn.

Adrenaline running high, Turner’s attorneys said he continuously yelled for Dghoughi to stop.

“He thinks he sees movement, and thinks person is pointing gun at him,” Turner’s attorneys said. “He thought he was about to die.”

From there, Turner’s attorneys said he called 911.

In 911 audio, you hear Turner breathing heavily, seemingly frantic.

“I just killed a guy,” Turner told the dispatcher. “Send somebody quick…” He tried to pull a gun on me, and I shot. He’s dead in his car I guess.”

The call lasted more than 10 minutes. Turner grew increasingly frantic explaining what he says happened.

“What the f— happened?,” Turner is heard saying during the call, seemingly crying at this point.

“It’s OK,” a dispatcher responded to Turner, apparently trying to calm him down.

“No it’s not!” Turner responded.

Turner admitted to the dispatcher he wasn’t certain Dghoughi had a gun, saying it was dark.

Officials have since revealed Dghoughi was unarmed.

Family members in court

Dghoughi”s brother, mother and other relatives were in court the court room on Monday. Turner also had apparent family support in court.

Turner’s girlfriend — who was in the home with him when the incident happened — is set to testify, according to his defense.

Caldwell County deputies also testified on Monday, with one of their dash cam videos played in the court room.

Follow Reporter Jala Washington on social media platform X for live updates.