YMCA Employee: "He Was Directly On Top Of" Monica Paul

A Montclair YMCA employee positively identified Kenneth Duckett on Tuesday as the man who shot Monica Paul "at point-blank range" following what the employee described as a heated discussion between the two during which Paul looked "nervous."

In great detail, Anthony Colon, a part-time YMCA worker, testified how he was in the observation room outside the swimming pool on June 26, 2008 when he noticed Duckett and Paul engaged in a suspicious-looking conversation about 10 feet away from him.

"He was very animated in his movements," he said, adding he continued to keep an eye on the pair because Duckett's gestures prompted concern.

Duckett, 39, of Orange, is on trial for allegedly shooting Paul, 31, to death during their son's swim lesson. Paul is the mother Duckett's two children. Duckett watched Colon's testimony with no emotion, at times leaning over to whisper to his attorney, Thomas Ashley, during the third day of his trial in New Jersey Superior Court in Newark.

Colon testified Paul was sitting in a chair while Duckett moved about in a way that indicated he was angry and "something was wrong."

Colon said he watched for less than two minutes when Duckett began taking two or three steps away from Paul — in Colon's direction — before turning back around towards Paul.

"He grabbed for something ... at his waistline," he said.

And that's when Colon said he heard a gunshot "and things sort of slowed down for me." Then, another shot rang out. "The second shot sort of woke me up," he said, adding he recalls hearing at least three shots.

When asked about Paul, Colon said "she almost seemed to sit up in her chair ... and she had a surprised look on her face. She looked scared ... she looked frightened."

Colon said Duckett had been "directly on top of her ... at point-blank range."

Ashley has said Duckett shot Paul in a fit of rage and had no intention of murdering her at the YMCA. Ashley said Paul told Duckett, "Noah is not your son," and this is when he killed her.

Colon said he did not witness Paul saying anything to Duckett after he turned away from her.

He only described their conversation as "heated," adding Paul looked "nervous."

He also said he felt like "there was a pause after the first shot ... I believe he kept shooting."

Chaos ensued and Colon began corraling people out of the room before calling 911 and speaking with dispatchers.

"I was mainly concerned about the children," he said. "I didn't know if he was still in the building.

"I just really hoped he didn't start shooting elsewhere," Colon said.

Adam Wels, a swimming instructor at the YMCA, also testified on Tuesday.

He said he was in the pool at about 6:20 p.m. when he heard a "loud bang" ... sort of like "a baby banging on a car window." He thought it was a child banging on the walls of the observation room—until he heard a second thud.

He looked up and saw a silver pistol, although he didn't see Duckett's face.

"I saw a lady fall to the ground," he said.

Before testimony even began Tuesday, and jurors were brought into the courtroom, the attorneys and the judge discussed how much information would be shared with jurors regarding an existing restraining order and Duckett's visitation schedule with his two children in 2008.

The judge ruled the visitation schedule could be shared. He stressed to jurors "liberal phone calls" were conducted between Duckett and Paul that allowed for additional visitation opportunities.

The visitation schedule was, in 2008, as follows:

On Mondays, Duckett picked up the children at 6 p.m. and returned them at 8:30 p.m. to Paul's home. On Wednesdays, Duckett picked up the children directly from school and dropped them back at Paul's home at 8:30 p.m. Every other weekend, Duckett was allowed to see his children from 6 p.m. on Friday to 9 p.m. on Sunday. The alleged murder occurred on a Thursday.