Chadron residents Nancy and Rolland Sayer were among the witnesses to testify Thursday in the murder trial of Joseph Hotz of Rushville. Hotz is accused of stabbing his Chadron State College roommate, Kenneth Pfeiffer, to death last December 5.

KCSR Radio in Chadron reports Nancy Sayer testified that on the night of December 5, 2008, she was watching television when she heard the door to her front porch open. She assumed that it was her grandson coming home from basketball practice.

Sayer says it turned out to be a man carrying two knives, and described the man as looking similar to Hotz.

She said he walked past her and into the kitchen.Sayer testified that she quickly left the house thinking that she would seek help, but realized the intruder was right behind her.She said he then turned around and went back inside.

She said she hid in her van parked in the driveway, while her husband remained in the bathroom.

Rolland Sayer said said he pushed the bathroom door open, but was blocked by a man holding two knives. Sayer said he saw what he thought was blood on the man's shirt.He said he could not identify the man because he was focused solely on the knives.

Sayer said the man told him, he was going to kill him.

Sayer went on to testify that the man grabbed the Sayers' cordless phone and dropped it in front of the bathroom door.Sayer said he grabbed the phone, shut the bathroom door and barricaded himself inside the bathroom.

He said the man started stabbing through the door with a knife, and screaming.The damaged door was shown to the jury as evidence.

Sayer said he then called 911, and told the dispatcher he needed help immediately.

Rolland Sayer said, eventually, the knife had stopped coming through the door, and he came out of the bathroom.He said, at that time, the man was gone.He said he saw his wife at the front door of the house, and called authorities to let them know everyone had been accounted for.

The trial continues Friday in Dawes County District Court in Chadron.