Testimony is now over in the trial of Raul “Lito” Valle, the former St. Joseph High School student accused of stabbing four teens—one of them fatally—at a party in Shelton. The defense rested after calling just one witness—Valle.

The defendant returned to the stand Tuesday morning where he told the jury he felt “terrified” and “hopeless” on the night of May 14, 2022, during a fight outside a home on Laurel Glen Drive. Valle said he was on the ground in the fetal position, outnumbered by a group of Shelton High teens who kept punching and kicking him, and he thought the knife was his only option to escape.

“After I took the knife out of my pocket, I started waving and just stabbing in every direction, just flailing my arm around,” Valle testified, adding he wasn’t aiming for anyone and didn’t know he’d made contact.

But Ryan Heinz suffered a punctured lung among other wounds, Tommy Connery was stabbed four times in his leg, and Faison Teele received stitches in his arm.

Video shows a portion of the fight, including Valle run to his friend's SUV in the road after allegedly stabbing those three teens. But instead of getting in and leaving, Valle testified he decided to head back into the crowd of Shelton High kids because he saw his best friend, Tyler Dasilva, being beat up.

“How did you feel?” defense attorney Kevin Smith asked.

“Still terrified. But I couldn't let him be there alone. I felt like I had to save him,” Valle testified.

But on cross-examination, Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Marc Durso pulled up the video, pointing out Dasilva wasn’t fighting anymore and was in the street.

“Tyler is no longer engaged in the fight, right?” Durso asked.

“I don't remember,” Valle answered.

Valle said he went back in still holding the knife when someone punched him.

“I just remember immediately after I got hit, I fell. I swung,” Valle told the jury during his direct testimony.

“What were you swinging at?” Smith asked.

“Anything,” Valle replied.

“What were you aiming for?” Smith continued.

“Anybody who was coming at me,” Valle said.

Jimmy McGrath, 17, a standout athlete at Fairfield Prep, was stabbed in the heart and died. McGrath wasn’t part of the fight, Durso countered, and is seen in the video walking back.

“He's not engaging you, is he?” Durso asked pointing to the video.

“He's stepping forward,” Valle replied.

“He's stepping forward?” Durso repeated incredulously.

“They all stepped forward,” Valle stated.

“He doesn't have a weapon on him, does he?” Durso continued.

“Not that I saw,” Valle answered.

“And it would be unfair for somebody who doesn't have a weapon to be stabbed by somebody who does, right?” Durso said.

“I didn't try to stab anybody,” Valle countered.

“But you stabbed him, didn't you?” followed up Durso.

“Yes,” Valle admitted.

His attorney focused on Valle’s mindset and intentions during the stabbing.

“Did you want to kill any of those kids?” Smith asked.

“No,” Valle said.

“Did you want to hurt any of the kids?” Smith continued.

“No,” Valle answered.

“What did you want do? What did you want to do when you were down there on that ground, and all those fists were punching you and all those legs were kicking you?” Smith questioned.

"Get them away from me,” Valle said.

Valle began his testimony late Monday, during which he said he never asked his friend, Jack Snyder, for the knife that was used in the fight—which multiple witnesses testified he did. Valle told the jury Snyder tossed it to him unprompted. He also took the jury through the earlier events that night leading up to the stabbing, including an initial fight at an earlier party on Lazy Brook Road. The prosecution alleges that scuffle started the tensions between the groups from different high schools.

Durso began his grilling of Valle, picking apart Valle’s testimony of the Lazy Brook Road confrontation.

Video of that fight shows Valle punch Ryan Heinz in the back of the head, which started the violence. Other witnesses have testified that’s what happened. But Valle claimed he just pushed Heinz because he stepped on his foot.

“You want these ladies and gentlemen to believe that was a push, not a punch?” Durso asked after playing the footage.

“Correct,” Valle stated.

Durso continued to play the video and slowed it down, which appeared to show Valle slamming the motorcycle helmet he was wearing, into Heinze’s head—something else a witness previously recalled on the stand.

“There you are right here. Ready. Slam. That's you right there slamming the helmet into Ryan’s head, right?” Durso said.

“I never slammed him with the helmet,” Valle insisted.

“OK, so the video’s a lie,” Durso responded.

Durso also took aim at Valle’s direct testimony that later that night, he was unaware the SUV he was in with other St. Joe’s kids, was headed to Laurel Glen Drive to fight. Durso showed Valle messages from a group chat that stated otherwise. Valle said he didn’t recall ever sending those.

He also described being “panicked” and “scared” once the SUV pulled up to the house because it was surrounded by Shelton High teens who started rocking the vehicle and damaging it until the SUV drove off down the road.

“The people at the party indicated to you they didn't want you at the house. You were supposed to leave." Durso stated.

“I guess so, yeah,” Valle answered, claiming that even thought he was scared and panicking, he then returned to the house “to make peace.”

That directly contradicts what several partygoers testified to.

Valle is charged with murder and three counts of assault. Closing arguments are set for Thursday with the jury having Wednesday off.