Murder accused James (Spooks) Dill told Police he watched as stabbing victim Stanley Lee opened his eyes, grabbed his knife blade ?in a death grip?, and took his last breath.

Dill, a 57-year-old welder and car washer of no fixed abode, also told Police that co-accused Robert Blair Tucker had complained to him earlier on July 28, 2001, that Mr. Lee had ?put his hands on? him ? meaning the burly ex-con had punched or beaten up Tucker ? and that he would have to ?take him out?.

After 11 days of testimony and nearly three months since first being called, the Supreme Court jury finally heard details yesterday of how the mysterious Mr. Lee died in the trial of Dill, Tucker and Terranz Sidney (Monster) Smith.

The three men deny murdering the American victim in the summer of 2001.

Yesterday, the ten-woman, two-man jury heard Det. Con. Ronald Green testify about three statements he took from Dill after his arrest on August 11.

In his statements, Dill explained he did odd jobs at Tucker?s Pembroke home and was ?sort of a butler? to Tucker who has an illness which limits his abilities.

Dill told Police in detail how Mr. Lee was stabbed and left in the isolated Lagoon Park, Ireland Island South, over what he presumed to be a drugs transaction.

Mr. Lee was known by at least three different names ? to the US Bureau of Prisons he was Edward Stanley Lee, to the NY Corrections Department he was Eddie Montalvo, to the New York Department of Vital Statistics and Bermuda Immigration he was Sean Russells. To the Bermudians he came into contact with before his death, he was just known as ?Sha?.

Prosecutors have spent significant time trying to establish the identity of the body, using dental and medical records from his federal and state prison stints and other identification from the scene.

The Crown believes Mr. Lee came to Bermuda on July 6, 2001 to facilitate the importation of cocaine.

Relations among the drug dealers soured when it was discovered that the cocaine was of a poor quality and the six-foot, four-inch, 240-pound American began to demand any remaining drugs and any money from sales so that he could return them to the US.

But Police were alerted on August 9 to Mr. Lee?s nearly ?skeletonised? body by Smith, who had been arrested on an unrelated housebreaking charge. It was a crime Smith said would have never been solved.

Smith demanded immunity for telling Police about the body but Police deny making any deals.

Arrested at Tucker?s home on August 11 on suspicion of drugs importation, Dill denied any knowledge of Mr. Lee?s demise in his first statement on August 12.

But the following day he recounted to Narcotics detectives Green and P.c. David Greenidge his interaction with Tucker on July 28, saying: ?He (Tucker) looked very upset.

?And he said to me, ?listen, I?m going to take this guy out because he put his hands on me?. For what reason, I don?t know.

?I figured it had something to do about drugs Sha had given to Blair, he wanted his money and Blair didn?t have the money,? Dill continued. ?It was a few ounces but it was bad. It f***ed up my throat and my chest. And I told them that it was no good.?

Dill told Police that Tucker told him to retrieve a knife from a butcher?s block in his home and that he carried it for Tucker ? shoved down his pants ? as they made their way westward.

After describing for officers Green and Greenidge how the trio had running conversations near the lagoon in Lagoon Park, he said Tucker left him with Mr. Lee for a short time.

Dill said to Police this was ?I guess (to look for) for a spot where he could kill him and where nobody would be around?.

After Tucker returned a short time later, Dill said it was then, out of earshot of Mr. Lee, he reminded Tucker of a stop they had made at the Boaz Island gas station.

He told Police: ?I said ?when we stopped at the gas station the girl at the counter knew me?. I said to him, ?is there another way we could do this??. He said ?no, I?m going to do it?.?

After five minutes ?chilling? at the new location in the secluded spot nearer the entrance to the seniors care centre at Lefroy House, Tucker called Dill away from Mr. Lee, and asked for the knife.

?I took the knife from under my shirt so Sha couldn?t see me do it. Blair stood to one side (of Mr. Lee) and I stood to the other. And then Blair just, when Sha wasn?t paying attention, just stabbed him in the back.

?When I saw his hand come around I just turned my head. I saw him (strike a blow) once at that moment and I don?t know how many times in the trees.?

Dill said that Mr. Lee jumped off his red rental cycle and ran a short distance before falling down and Tucker caught up with him.

Tucker continued to stab the burly American as he held onto a branch, Dill explained, adding that Tucker emerged with his own shirt torn and covered in blood. They took another shirt Mr. Lee had in his cycle.

Tucker and Dill then rode to the Ducking Stool area on North Shore, Pembroke, near Blackwatch Pass to swim, then returned to Tucker?s home where they changed clothes.

From there they went to a home in Cedar Hill, Warwick where Dill would later excuse himself, ride to ?Crockwell?s? or Four Star Pizza and drop a plastic trash bag containing the clothes and one knife into a dumpster.

Under questioning by Police, Dill said they left Mr. Lee?s livery cycle ?right where you found it, right there on top of the level there (in the park)?, and that they ?never touched it?. Dill also remembered being the only person smoking in the park.

Prosecutors have made much of the condition of a clearing in the park ? where a cigarette butt and a partially smoked cigarette were found on August 9.

When Det. Con. Green asked Dill why he made the statement, he said: ?Because I wanted to get it off my system. I wanted to tell somebody. But I couldn?t do it unless the opportunity presented itself.

?The girl at the gas station, she used to work at Marine and Ports in the 80s. I?m relieved. I feel bad about the whole incident. It?s there everyday. Every time I wake up. I witnessed it and didn?t say anything. I?m a God fearing man. I got high every day and it?s still there.

?It?s f***ed up. I?ve never done anything like that or seen anything like that,? Dill continued. ?I?m not a soldier. I can?t take that. It hurts. I wanted to get it out man. That?s one thing I really regret in my life. I just couldn?t live with this in me.?

Later, Dill said: ?I?m very sorry about everything that has taken place. I feel better.?

Dill admitted he went to Mr. Lee at Tucker?s request after ?Blair asked me do I think he?s dead. I think I said he?s got to (be dead)?.

In another statement, Dill said: ?There is one thing I didn?t tell you yesterday.

?I went round to the head of Sha and Sha opened his eyes and gripped hold of the knife ? in like a death grip.?

He watched until Mr. Lee ?started gurgling from the mouth and until he closed his eyes and swallowed and then he let go?.

Dill concluded: ?I knew he was dead. I knew he was dead when he sighed and let go of the knife?.

The trial continues this morning with Det. Con. Green being cross examined by Dill?s lawyer, Liz Christopher.