Nearly two years after Maxwell Hawkins was arrested and accused of killing Nicole Vega late one night in early January of 2025, his trial has begun.
LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — Inside a Lackawanna County courtroom on Wednesday, Maxwell Hawkins sat with his defense team and watched bodycam video of the night he is accused of killing Nicole Vega at their apartment in Dunmore back in January of 2025.
The graphic video is part of the prosecution team’s argument that Hawkins meant to kill Vega after finding out she was having and affair.
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Deputy District Attorney Sara Varela called several witnesses, including Lackawanna County Coroner Timothy Rowland, who said an autopsy determined Vega died after being shot in the back of the head.
The defense, led by attorney Bernie Brown, called into question the accuracy of Vega’s death certificate. He questioned whether Hawkins was either drunk or high the night Vega died.
When police first arrived at the scene, Hawkins was heard “wailing,” according to one investigator.
When questioned by police at the scene, body camera footage appeared to show Hawkins very intoxicated. At points, he was seen falling over and unsteady on his feet.
Officers with Dunmore police who were called to testify said Hawkins was constantly slurring his words and was told to repeat himself several times.
The prosecution is set to rest its case sometime later this week.
Along with first-degree murder, Hawkins was also charged with child endangerment after three of the couple’s kids were found to be at the home when the alleged crime occurred.