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GREENSBORO — Catrina Zimmerman testified Monday that she heard the confession of a murderer but kept silent for nearly two years.

Fear kept her from telling police that Christon Eugene Tucker cried as he described shooting to death Tiffany Ann Knight in February 2008, Zimmerman told a jury.

“He said he felt bad about doing it because her daughter was there,” Zimmerman testified.

Knight, 23, was found shot to death by her  daughter, who was 4 at the time. The girl told a neighbor, who called 911, according to police records.

Monday was the fifth day of testimony in the first-degree murder trial in Guilford County Superior Court.

Zimmerman testified that Tucker told her his family had money and could “touch” her if she talked. She took that as a threat, Zimmerman testified.

She also told jurors that as a mother, she finally came forward for the sake of Knight and her daughter.

The lead Greensboro detective in the case also testified.

Detective Tony Hinson described to the jury how text messages on Knight’s phone led them to Tucker, who turned himself in 10 days after the killing.

The series of texts from Tucker started about 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 11, 2008. By 1:30 p.m. Feb. 12,  police contend, Knight had been killed.

Knight was found about 8 a.m. that day and was pronounced dead by emergency officials when they arrived.

The trial resumes at 9:30 a.m. today.

Contact Jennifer Fernandez at 373-7064 or jennifer.fernandez@news-record.com