FAYETTEVILLE -- Mike Gover had an enlarged heart that was a "ticking time bomb" according to a former state assistant medical examiner, but a fight and lots of alcohol were also said to be factors in Gover's death.
Former Razorback football player Josh Melton, 34, is charged with second-degree murder in the August 2013 death of his friend. Gover was 30 years old and his death was ruled a homicide.
Jurors are being asked to determine whether Melton's actions during a fight between the two men caused Gover's death and whether that constituted murder. Melton's first trial ended in mistrial in July after two jurors were dismissed.
Dr. Daniel Dye, who autopsied Gover's body at the state Crime Laboratory, said Gover's injuries from blows to the face weren't sufficient to kill him. Gover's enlarged heart and a blood alcohol level of 0.20 were the other factors in play.
"You have to have all three in this case to cause Mr. Gover's death," Dye said. "These injuries cause stress. They exacerbated the underlying heart disease and he died."
Gover's heart condition would have killed him at some point, and the heart condition plus alcohol "maybe" could have killed him, Dye said.
Dye said he ruled the death a homicide because it was caused at least in part by another person.
Melton told Fayetteville police that he and Gover, of West Fork, had gone to a couple of bars and drank heavily. They ended up at Melton's home, 6316 W. Copper Ridge Lane, in the early hours of Aug. 28, 2013.
Melton told police he punched his friend several times in the face after Gover threw up in the living room, made lewd comments and grabbed Melton's genitalia.
A blood-covered Melton was taken to the police station where he was questioned. Melton said the two men were very drunk on beer when they arrived at his home and, after a final shot of rum, he blacked out and didn't remember anything else until the next day when he found Gover dead on his living room floor. Jurors heard about four hours of the interview Tuesday.
"I'm telling you the truth, 1,000 percent," Melton said at one point. "We fought. I woke up and my friend was dead on my living room floor."
Metro on 12/03/2014