'She was saying goodbye': Accused testifies Michelle Stobbe killed herself with his gun

The man accused of shooting Michelle Stobbe inside his Donald Street apartment told a jury on Thursday he remains tortured by her death.

Stobbe, 28, died in the early morning hours of July 1, 2014, after suffering a single gunshot wound to the back of her neck.

John Elwood Cameron, 38, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, claiming Stobbe shot herself after removing his Beretta handgun from a safe in his bedroom.

Cameron said he was showing the gun to friends earlier in the evening, but returned it to the safe, and the safe key to its usual spot in a mug on top of his fridge, before Stobbe arrived.

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"This is one of the things that tortures me, because I don't know if I put [the key] back, I don't know if I followed the things that I usually do," Cameron testified. "I don't know if I left the key in the safe door."

Cameron said he had been at his apartment drinking and socializing with a few friends and his brother James when he received a text from Stobbe, sometime before 1 a.m., saying she wanted to come over for sex.

"I was excited to hear from her.I said, 'Yeah, OK,'" Cameron testified.

When Stobbe arrived, she appeared intoxicated and happy, Cameron said, but hersmile quickly gave way to tears.

"She started having mood swings," Cameron said. "For no apparent reason she would start crying and a second later she would be happy again."

'I tried to comfort' upset Stobbe: Cameron

Cameron said when he pulled Stobbe aside to ask what was the matter, she said she was upset about breaking up with her boyfriend.

"I tried to comfort her, say positive things, other fish in the sea, that sort of thing," Cameron said. Stobbe appeared comforted for a time, but continued to cry off and on, Cameron told the court.

When Cameron's friends and brother left a short time later, Cameron and Stobbe talked some more "and she appeared to be better," Cameron said.

"She said she missed me," he said. "She pulled me close and we started making out."

• Accused killer alleges victim shot herself

Cameron said he and Stobbe were moving to the bedroom when he stopped at the bathroom to clean up. When he came out a few minutes later Stobbe wasn't in the bedroom, hesaid she was in the living room, with his gun pointed at her face.

Cameron said he called out her name. "She turned to me and put the gun to her head," he said. "That look, it seemed to me she was saying goodbye."

She turned to me and put the gun to her head. That look, it seemed to me like she was saying goodbye.- John Cameron

Cameron said he rushed behind Stobbe and grabbed for the gun.

"I grabbed her hand and turned to pull it away from her, and she pulled forward and it just exploded," Cameron said.

"She fell to my sideI crouched down beside her, touched her chest. I just knew she was gone."

Texted brother 75 minutes before 911 call

Cameron said he texted his brother and waited outside for him to arrive. James, he said, discouraged him from calling 911.

"He said, 'I have to see this for myself,'" John Cameron testified.

Court has heard hewas growing magic mushrooms in his apartment.

"James said he wanted to get rid of the mushrooms," Cameron said. "I said I didn't care about the bloody mushrooms. He just said, 'We're taking the mushrooms,' and I let him take control."

Cameron said he doesn't remember anything about the drive or where they disposed of the mushrooms. When they returned to the apartment, Cameron called 911.

Court has heard the 911 call came 75 minutes after Cameron texted his brother. Cameron told a 911 operator Stobbehad been "playing around" with the gun when she shot herself.

Earlier in the trial, James Cameron testified he wiped down the handgun, fearing he had left fingerprints on it after accidentally kicking and touching the gun.

Cameron said he only learned James had wiped down the gun months later.

Closing arguments in the case will be heard Friday.