Jury selection underway for Raleigh man accused of killing his mother

New documents reveal a 5 year old girl is set to testify in a Wake County murder trial. Christopher McCollough's daughter is set to testify in his murder case. The 31-year-old Raleigh man is accused of killing his mother. If convicted he could face the death penalty.
Posted 4/29/2025, 12:40:53 AM Updated 4/29/2025, 12:58:11 AM

ANYTHING IS BEING DONE TO SHUT

THEM DOWN.

NEW DOCUMENTS REVEAL A 5

YEAR-OLD GIRL IS SET TO TESTIFY

IN THE WAKE COUNTY MURDER TRIAL

OF A MAN CHARGED WITH MURDERING

HIS MOTHER.

>> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I'M DAN HAGGERTY AND I'M DEBRA

MORGAN. THE GIRL IS CHRISTOPHER

MCAULIFFE'S DAUGHTER THAT 32

YEAR-OLD RALEIGH MAN COULD FACE

THE DEATH PENALTY.

>> IF THE JURY CONVICTS HIM

WRAL'S CHELSEA DONOVAN IS LIVE

NOW AT THE WAKE COUNTY JUSTICE

CENTER WITH WHAT WE CAN EXPECT

TO SEE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE

TRIAL. CHELSEA.

YES, A JURY SELECTION JUST

WRAPPED UP FOR THE DAY AND

WE'RE EXPECTING TO MAYBE 3 MORE

DAYS OF THIS BEFORE OPENING

STATEMENTS WOULD GET UNDERWAY.

>> LATER THIS WEEK, WE DID GET

A PEEK AT THE WITNESS LIST FOR

THE PROSECUTION. THAT INCLUDES

THE DEFENDANTS DAUGHTER WHO

WILL BE TESTIFYING SARAH

PRESENT IN THE ROOM AS WELL AS

A LOCAL MEDICAL EXAMINER.

IT'S NOT A

DEFENSE THAT.

>> EXCUSES THE CROWN VOLUNTARY

INTOXICATION AT THE DEFENSE.

CHRISTOPHER MCAULIFFE AND HIS

ATTORNEYS ARE USING IN HIS

FIRST-DEGREE MURDER TRIAL.

IT'S MORE OR LESS A DEFENSE TO

USE TO NEGATE.

>> ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE

CRIME. IN THIS CASE, IT WOULD

BE THE INTENT.

THAT WAS NECESSARY FOR

FIRST-DEGREE MURDER. IT'S AN

UNUSUAL DEFENSE. YOU DON'T SEE

IT VERY OFTEN. BASICALLY,

MCCALL IS ADMITTING THAT HE

DRANK BEFORE THE INCIDENT AND

WAS SO INTOXICATED THAT HE

MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO

UNDERSTAND THAT HE ALLEGEDLY

BEAT HIS FATHER AND THEN HIS

MOTHER TO DEATH.

>> THIS HAPPENED BACK ON AUGUST

6 OF 2023 ON IN GATEWAY AND THE

HERRINGTON

GROVE COMMUNITY NIKOLA

ALLEGEDLY BEAT HIS PARENTS

UNTIL THEY WERE UNCONSCIOUS

IN FRONT OF HIS CHILD. HE THEN

ALLEGEDLY KIDNAPPED THE CHILD

AND

DROVE AWAY PRIOR TO THE CRIME.

A CALL AS A FATHER TOOK OUT

THIS PROTECTIVE ORDER AGAINST

HIS SON WRITING THAT HE HAD

PUNCHED HIM SEVERAL TIMES,

KNOCKING ME TO THE FLOOR.

ALSO THREATENED TO KILL ME AND

MY WIFE, JOHN MCCALL ADDED HIS

SON HAD USED A LARGE KNIFE.

CRIMINAL RECORDS SHOW MCCALL

HAS 17 PRIOR ARRESTS WITH PAST

CONVICTIONS FOR VIOLATING

PROTECTIVE ORDERS, ASSAULT,

STRANGULATION AND DRUG DRIVING

HIS 5 YEAR-OLD CHILD IS ALSO

EXPECTED TO TAKE THE STAND IN

THIS CASE FOR THE PROSECUTION.

>> AND AS YOU MENTIONED,

CHRISTOPHER MCAULIFFE FACES

LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE

OR THE DEATH PENALTY. IF

CONVICTED, JURY SELECTION WILL

RESUME AT 9.30 TOMORROW MORNING