ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. -- A jury heard dramatic testimony in a St. Johns County courtroom as the key witness testified during the retrial of an accused killer.

The first time a judge and jury heard the case of James Turner, it ended in a mistrial after a juror had a seizure during deliberations.

Now, Turner is standing trial in the death of Renee Howard for the second time this year.

According to investigators, Turner killed Howard in front of her three kids in a hotel in September 2005 so that he could steal her truck.

For witness Stacia Raybon, Wednesday marked the second time she has had to take the stand and recall the painful details of the day she said was stabbed by Turner and had to watch as he killed her friend.

Raybon testified that she saw Turner stab Howard several times before he turned toward her.

"He grabbed my arm and tried to pull me up off the ground, and when he did it he stabbed me in my elbow," Raybon told the jury.

Her elbow was broken, but she said she was able to escape to a bathroom and lock the door.

"He tried to get into the bathroom. He knocked on the door and kept telling me to unlock it but I told him I wouldn't," Raybon said.

She said through the bathroom door she pleaded with Turner to spare her and Howard's children and leave them alone.

Prosecutors said Turner eventually left, fleeing in Howard's truck until he crashed it during a police chase.

Deputy Graham Harris said he caught up with Turner in the truck, and said he then also became a target.

"The next thing I see when I pulled to the side were the reverse lights coming straight at my patrol car. 'Boom.' The rear end hit my front end," Harris testified.

The defense and prosecution had opportunities to make opening statements Wednesday morning. The defense reserved that right for after the prosecution rests.

If convicted for Howard's death, Turner faces life in prison without parole or the death sentence.