Holly Springs man testifies at murder trial; prosecutors claim he killed his ex-girlfriend but don't have a body to prove it

Sluss is accused of killing 23-year-old Monica Moynan in 2019 and disposing of her body, even though her body has never been found.

Jurors began deliberating on Thursday afternoon.

On Thursday, Sluss' attorney said there is not enough evidence beyond a reasonable doubt to prove that his client did anything to Moynan, telling jurors that it's just as possible that Moynan simply walked away from her life.

But prosecutors said there is no way the vibrant, hardworking mother would have walked away from her two little girls.

They say the documented history of domestic violence in the relationship along with blood found in the home can lead to only one conclusion.

The state is using a law called Britney's Law, which allows the jury to find the elements of first-degree murder if there are former convictions for domestic violence involving the same victim. The jury is expected to begin deliberating Thursday afternoon.

Sluss took the stand Wednesday to testify.

For more than two hours of direct examination, Sluss detailed a volatile relationship with Moynan, which included physical fights. At one point, he was charged and Moynan had a domestic violence protective order against him.

Sluss said at the time Moynan disappeared, they were living together, and he was caring for the kids, but they had no relationship.

Sluss claimed he did not kill Moynan, and that she left him of her own volition. He contends Moynan left in a dark car without her wallet or phone. He said he wasn’t initially worried that she was not coming back.

While being cross examined, District Attorney Kathryn Pomeroy focused on some inconsistencies in Sluss' story, claiming that he lied many times over several months and he tried to hide the fact that Moynan was gone.

Pomeroy said Sluss made fake Facebook accounts to give off the appearance that Moynan was having affairs with other women. He also texted her phone hundreds of times when she was missing.

Investigators said Sluss had been driving Moynan's car and using her cellphone, even pretending to be her in texts and Instagram posts to her family and friends. He also had been staying at Moynan's apartment even though management had a trespass order preventing him from setting foot on the property.

In court on Wednesday, Sluss admitted to being deceptive and not forthcoming at times. Sluss also admitted to being on dating sites after her disappearance.

Sluss said he lied to Moynan about his age early in their relationship to mask the significant age disparity between them.

According to the state, Moynan met Sluss when she was 18. Sluss, now in his 40s, was 20 years older than she was.

“I did lie to Monica about my age," Sluss said. "Her family did find out. She was told she was not allowed to see me from that point forward.”

Sluss said the two had trouble keeping steady jobs and sometimes had to resort to theft to get by.

"We weren’t consistent in our jobs," Sluss said. "Whenever we needed something, we would supplement our incomes by stealing."

The state rested its case Wednesday after presenting 53 witnesses over the course of the trial.

During the trial on Tuesday, a scientist testified that Moynan’s blood was found in the couple's home in Holly Springs. Authorities found a significant amount of blood under the kitchen floor in the home the two shared.

Sluss says Moynan walked out on him in mid-June 2019, and he had been covering up for her. He told police that Moynan had become addicted to heroin and had run off after he tried "home rehab" to break her of the addiction. The state maintains she was killed on April 7, 2019, saying they believe no calls or social media posts have been made by her since that time.

"The circumstances that she hadn’t been seen, that her child’s father had her car, her phone, her credit card and her children, and he was leaving the state," made Lt. Jessica McMillan of the Holly Springs police feel there could be a case against Sluss.

Victim's family speaks out, hopes for justice as suspect charged with murder

"First and foremost I want to know where my daughter is so she can be brought home to rest," said Moynan's mother, Melanie Tucker.

The prosecution said March 6, 2019, was the last selfie she ever posted, and that her last text was April 7, 2019.

Moynan never showed up to work after that day. Then, she missed a baby shower. She missed doula training and didn't take her daughter to the doctor.

Investigators located Sluss at his parents' home in Virginia. He had Moynan's phone, a phone investigators say he was using to impersonate Moynan through texts, calls and social media.

"He communicated with people as if he were Monica, putting up a façade that Monica was still alive," said Assistant Prosecutor Melanie Shekita .

Shekita said they had seized her phone and EBT card, and found her purse and wallet in the Holly Springs home.

The couple had two daughters who were ages 1 and 4 at the time she went missing.

According to Tommy Manning, Sluss' attorney, "Monica [Moynan] was more and more absent from their home."

The defense said Moynan told Sluss she "had to leave" and that "she was tired." Sluss said she walked out, and he never saw her again.

Manning says Sluss was a good father, and that every time Moynan needed help, she called him, despite the protective order.

"She called him, and he came and took excellent care of their girls," Manning said.

Manning said Sluss prepared food, changed diapers, did laundry and maintained the house – while Moynan went to work, or needed breaks, or went out with friends.

"The constant in all of this, Brian was there with their girls and he was taking care of them," Manning said.

Meanwhile, Manning said Moynan was unreliable, fired from her jobs, while Sluss continued as the primary caregiver for the children.

At the end of opening statements, Manning made a simple plea: to follow the evidence.

"Please keep all this in context as you listen to the evidence: There’s more than one story here," Manning said. "The only thing that matters here is evidence. Please listen and be extremely careful of your examination of the evidence."