SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KRON) -- For the first time since tech CEO Tushar Atre was murdered in Santa Cruz, one of his four accused killers took the stand to testify in self defense.

Kaleb Charters, 25, told the jury that he was hired in the summer of 2019 by Atre to help the millionaire's new cannabis business build a farm. Charters and his brother-in-law, Stephen Nicholas "Nic" Lindsay, were tasked with planting hundreds of cannabis plants in the Santa Cruz Mountains. They worked for 10 days from dawn until dusk, Charters said, to earn $200 a day.

After Charters and Lindsay received their paychecks, Atre became furious when he realized they lost keys to one of the farm's trucks, named the "Monster Truck." Charters told jurors on Wednesday, "Tushar was flipping out. He was going to cancel th

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