NORWICH – As the murder trial of Jeremy Coates continued Wednesday an investigator showed the jury text messages between the defendant and an alleged accomplice in the case, who previously pleaded guilty to other crimes and is now a key witness for the prosecution.

State Police Investigator Terry Shultz showed text messages to the court he said police had seized from Melissa Crispell's cellphone.

Crispell, 43, was originally charged with second-degree murder – among other counts of assault and robbery – but she accepted a plea deal on May 12, 2017, she is facing 15-to-25 years in state prison and will be sentenced after Coates’ trial.

She will testify as part of the deal. According to Shultz, Crispell gave her phone to police willingly, and told them her password to access it.

Shultz testified the phone messages were sent before, during, and after the day David Green, 58, of Oxford was murdered.

Shultz said he discovered a series of text messages between Crispell and Coates on the day of the murder.

The texts were shown on a projector in court and read aloud by Shultz. According to the investigator the messages were as follows:

"Still thinking doing house tonight," sent Crispell.

"We talk about that later," responded Coates.

"Not being too bright," sent Crispell.

"Why would you even tell anyone were going to the house tonight," she added.

"I forgot, slipped my mind," Coates responded.