In the agonizing final hours of Cayley Mandadi's life, her friends gathered to say goodbye. Cayley's childhood friend Taylor Clement met her college friends for the first time. They bonded talking about Cayley.
Taylor Clement: Even in that situation, she was bringing people close that would've never met before.
Some of those friends now nervously wait to testify in Howerton's murder trial.
ALESSANDRA CRANSHAW (in court): Do you recognize this person?
MORGAN SAMPSON: I do.
ALESSANDRA CRANSHAW: Who is this individual?
MORGAN SAMPSON (voice breaking): It's Cayley.
Her roommate, Morgan Sampson, told of a stormy history between Cayley and Howerton, including one particularly disturbing incident just a few weeks before Cayley's death. She was planning to go to a party and says Howerton got upset when she invited Cayley to come along.
MORGAN SAMPSON (in court): Mark and Cayley were out on the balcony. And he had thrown her up against the brick wall —
Cayley ended up going to that party against Howerton's wishes. Soon, neighbors reported hearing loud banging in Cayley's room. Campus police officer Roderick Lewis was dispatched to investigate.
OFFICER LEWIS (in court): When I arrived at the location … a male subject was exiting the room.
OFFICER LEWIS (bodycam video): And so you're in the room just waiting on her while she's at a party?
MARK HOWERTON: Exactly.
OFFICER LEWIS: OK.
OFFICER LEWIS: ... You mind if I take a look in the room?
MARK HOWERTON: Man, no ...
OFFICER LEWIS: I would like you to step out here with my partner right now.
When Lewis did go into Cayley's room, he found the glass door to the balcony was cracked, and Cayley's clothes were scattered in the trees. Friends say Howerton later smashed Cayley's laptop on the street. The university barred him from campus.
Cayley told her ex-boyfriend, Jett Birchum, that she wanted to get back with him.
Christy Jack: She was really torn between two different people and both of whom were vying for her affection.
Birchum told the jurors it all came to a head at the music festival.
JETT BIRCHUM (in court): She said she wanted to break up with him at Mala Luna 'cause there'd be plenty of witnesses and people around.
ALESSANDRA CRANSHAW: Did she seem worried about breaking up with him?
JETT BIRCHUM: Yes.
Howerton picked Cayley up to go to the music festival. But first they pulled into a nearby carwash to take MDMA, or molly. Howerton said they had more once they got to the festival.
John Hunter: We're talking about massive doses, well above what would be necessary for it to affect — be effective — to gain the experience.
When Cayley didn't show up on campus that night, her friends started calling her. Howerton answered Cayley's phone.
MORGAN SAMPSON (in court): I was like, "Have you seen Cayley?" Or, "Have you heard from her? Like are you with her?" And he said, "She can't talk right now," and then hung up the phone.
Panicked, they began searching for Cayley. Jett Birchum, who also attended the festival, says he saw Mark and Cayley move towards the exit… seemingly against Cayley's wishes.