The third day of testimony got underway on Friday in the retrial of Sheldon Paul, one of three men charged in the 2019 killing of Sebastian Avilan-Medina at his Knapp Avenue home in Middletown.

Paul is charged with first-degree murder. Prosecutors allege he conspired with others to burglarize Avilan-Medina’s home and arrange his killing.

Avilan-Medina, 26, owned Avilan Auto Sales, an automotive shop off North Street in downtown Middletown. Testimony during the retrial has portrayed him as also having a side marijuana business and drug-related dealings with people prosecutors allege were involved in his killing.

Jurors heard an emotional 911 call and claims of a jailhouse admission during Friday’s proceedings.

One of the prosecution’s witnesses was John Thomas, an Orange County Jail inmate who testified that he was housed in the same block as Paul.

Thomas claimed Paul offered to help post his $15,000 bond in exchange for false testimony. He also alleged Paul admitted conspiring to have co-defendant Dijion Constantine kill Avilan-Medina and said he “kicked in the door, took $50K, work and got him clipped.” Thomas said “work” referred to marijuana and testified that Paul was “stressing” about a phone call from Constantine that could connect him to the murder.

Thomas is incarcerated on drug possession and sale charges and testified that he had been facing between eight and 20 years in prison. He said that under an agreement with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, his sentence was reduced to one year in exchange for wearing a recording device and testifying. Thomas said the audio from the recording was inaudible.

Avilan-Medina’s friend and dog walker testified that when they spoke about his dogs the morning of March 11, 2019, he told her his home had been burglarized the night before. When she arrived around noon, she found one dog outside, the door open and Avilan-Medina on the floor covered in blood. She then called a neighbor who lived in the same multifamily residence.

The neighbor testified that she heard a loud bang at 9:28 a.m. and texted Avilan-Medina to see if he was OK but did not go upstairs. She said the dog walker called hours later and told her he was hurt. The neighbor then went upstairs, found him with his head “stuck in the TV stand,” and immediately called 911.

“Upstairs. There’s someone on the ground. Their head is bloody,” she told the dispatcher in emotional audio played for the jury. “Oh, my God.” The recording captured her crying and breathing heavily as the dispatcher tried to walk her through CPR. The witness cried in court during the playback, and members of Avilan-Medina’s family were also seen crying.

The neighbor also testified that she saw Paul outside the home on March 10, the day of the burglary, with something beneath his shirt as he got into a black Mercedes. She also saw an unidentified man at the home with Avilan-Medina that night.

The neighbor knew Paul from previous visits and said Avilan-Medina had once asked her to give him a 9-pound bag of marijuana. During cross-examination, the defense asked the dog walker whether she had made marijuana deliveries for Avilan-Medina. She said she had.

Jurors also watched a 2020 Facebook Live video recorded by then-Middletown Police Officer Patrick Cunningham after Paul’s girlfriend called police because she was concerned for his welfare.

“Sorry for what I’ve done. I f—ed up, bro,” Paul was heard saying. “If I could’ve known, I would’ve stopped it.”

During cross-examination of Cunningham, Paul’s attorney emphasized the second part of the statement — “If I could’ve known, I would’ve stopped it” — in an apparent effort to suggest Paul did not know in advance what would happen.

After the proceedings, Avilan-Medina’s father, Byron, and brother, Daniel, told News 12 they remain confident in the police, prosecutors and judicial system.

“It’s a difficult time for everyone,” Daniel said. “It’s a loss for our community, and we really just want to seek justice.”

Daniel said he and his brother were born and raised in Middletown. Avilan-Medina was known for helping people in the community through his automotive business.

“It’s so hard to put into words how amazing my brother was,” Daniel said. “My brother was loved by everyone, and he really loved this city and the people in it.”

Byron called his oldest son “a beautiful soul” and said the family learned how much he meant to the community when people came forward after his death to share stories about how he had helped them. Avilan-Medina left behind a son who was 1 when he was killed and is now 8.

The case remained unsolved for more than five years before Paul and two other men were arrested in 2024. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office said Paul’s first trial ended in a mistrial after jurors cited conflicting evidence and could not reach a unanimous verdict.

Constantine pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in June 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 14. The third defendant, Douglas McFarlane, is scheduled to go on trial Oct. 13 on a second-degree murder charge.

Paul’s retrial is continuing before Orange County Court Judge Hyun Chin Kim. Testimony continues on Monday.