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Cesar Mazza's attorney says his client didn't kill his ex and her grandmother

PITTSBURGH — Outside court Friday after a district judge ruled there was enough evidence to hold a man accused of killing his ex –girlfriend and her grandmother for trial, the defendant’s attorney said his client is innocent.

Cesar Mazza is accused of beating and stabbing to death his former girlfriend, 19-year-old Tionna Banks, and her grandmother, 72-year-old Valerie Crumpton, inside their East Hills home in May.

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In court, Mazza’s sister testified that when he dropped off his son, he had a cut on his hand and blood was on his shirt.

Outside the courtroom, his attorney, Casey White, offered an explanation.

“There's no dispute that he had a cut on his hand from a knife, and he spoke to his family members about one of the deceased coming at him with a knife,” he said.

White argued that the prosecution did not present enough evidence linking Mazza to the crimes.

“My client said he didn't do it. He's innocent,” he said.   White contended that prosecutors raised even more questions Friday when an investigator testified that there was someone else in the home at the time.

“Detective Shaw testified that there was another individual who was at the scene of this crime that I was unaware of up until his testimony here today. So that puts five people at the scene of this crime,” White said. “Right now we don't know who the killer was, and it's the commonwealth's burden to prove that my client actually did commit these killings.”

As for a motive in the case, investigators have said the Mazza was upset because Banks did not name their son after him.

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