Defense attorney Bruce B. McIntyre started calling witnesses Tuesday at the murder trial of Jose E. Ramos in Superior Court in Norwich.  

It is unclear whether Ramos will take the witness stand when the trial resumes Wednesday.

The 32-year-old is accused of retrieving a rifle after a dispute at Rumors Bar & Grill on Boswell Avenue in Norwich on Oct. 10, 2008.

Police said he laid in wait in a grass lot across the street from the bar, and shot Tynel Hardwick when Hardwick stepped out the front door to smoke.

The first defense witness was Crystal Ross, with whom Ramos allegedly had a dispute.

She testified that she had spent the day with Hardwick and was with him at the bar, but didn't see Ramos at Rumors.

She said he did not spit at her, despite contradictory testimony from other witnesses.

"Absolutely not," she said. "We never had bad blood."

Ross said she left the bar at approximately 9:30 or 10 p.m., about two hours before the shooting.

Prosecutor Lawrence J. Tytla had rested for the state on Tuesday morning after eliciting testimony from Groton Town Police detective Heather Beauchamp, a member of the New London County Cold Case Task Force.

Beauchamp and Norwich police Lt. Corey Poore drove Ramos back from Queens, N.Y., after he was arrested in September 2012.

During the ride, Beauchamp testified, Ramos was calm, cooperative and remorseful.

"It seemed that Mr. Ramos was almost relieved and wanted to come back to Connecticut and do what he had to do," Beauchamp said. "He said he was sorry he was putting his family and the victim's family through this. He wondered if he would go to heaven."

Poore obtained a sworn confession from Ramos the next morning at the Norwich Police Department. 

The jury that will be deciding the case watched a video recording of the testimony last week.

k.florin@theday.com

Twitter: @KFLORIN