The mother of the murdered Leetonia teacher, Michelle Long, could be among the witnesses called to testify as the defense begins presenting its case this morning in the murder trial of William Long Jr.

Long faces charges of murder and aggravated murder in the November 2023 death of his ex-wife, Michelle Long. The victim, who was a teacher at Leetonia High School, was found shot in her vehicle.

On Friday, prosecutors finished their portion of the trial after presenting digital evidence and several videos. Caleb Wycoff, the lead investigator and a Columbiana County chief deputy, testified about tracking data from a mobile app found on the defendant's phone.

Wycoff told the court that phone records placed the device at a home on North Market Street during the time of the shooting. However, the prosecution argued that Long did not have his phone at that time. They showed surveillance footage of a truck they claimed belonged to the defendant driving in a different area.

The court also viewed videos recorded before the death of Michelle Long. In one recording from 2022, the defendant told his ex-wife he would kill her if she filed for divorce and received custody of their son. Other messages showed the defendant’s frustration regarding a judge's order to pay his ex-wife $100,000 as part of their divorce settlement.

During questioning by defense attorneys, Wycoff acknowledged that grainy surveillance video from the crime scene might show headlights from a different vehicle.

The defense team is expected to call several witnesses today to counter the prosecution's claims.