— The Berlin Borough man who shot and killed 25-year-old Kereti Paulsen with an arrow believed the victim may try to infect his family with HIV, a defense attorney argued on Wednesday.

Jeffrey Zucker, who is

made that and other claims Wednesday during Canfield's arraignment on a murder charge. Superior Court Judge Irvin J. Snyder presided, filling in for his colleague, Judge Thomas A. Brown Jr.

Authorities said Canfield fired the arrow with a compound bow around 10 p.m. Monday, following an fistfight involving the victim.

After the altercation, in which investigators said Canfield was not involved, all except Paulsen re-entered the home. But Canfield later re-emerged with the bow and arrow, they said, and eventually fired it.

The arrow hit Paulsen in the abdominal area, investigators said. He was taken from Canfield's North Brill Road home, where the incident occurred, to Virtua Hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 11:30 p.m.

Canfield was charged with murder and jailed on $1 million bail. He pleaded not guilty to the murder charge Wednesday.

During proceedings, Zucker said his client intended only to scare Paulsen, not to harm him. In any case, he conceded that Canfield had told investigators he did, in fact, fire the arrow.

Zucker also said Paulsen had stalked his ex-girlfriend at the North Brill Road home, a claim he said is verified by several police reports. That ex-girlfriend happens to be the sister of Canfield's current fiance, the attorney said.

Zucker added that Paulsen had also secretly entered the house on occasion through a window. The attorney said he has reason to believe Paulsen told the ex-girlfriend he was HIV positive and threatened to infect the household with the illness using a needle.

In fact, Zucker continued, the accused thought Paulsen may have had a needle with him on the night of the killing.

Assistant Camden County Prosecutor Howard Gilford said three witnesses, one of whom was involved in the fight with Paulsen, gave statements to authorities on the killing.

Canfield entered his home after the altercation and retrieved the bow and a quiver of arrows, Gilford said. A witness told investigators that the accused said he meant only to scare Paulsen, the Prosecutor added.

But the next day, Jan. 29, Canfield admitted to investigators that he'd shot the arrow at the victim. He conceded he then placed the weapon into his truck and drove to a wooded area, where he hid it, Gilford continued.

But, Gilford said, Canfield left the victim lying in his back yard, dying, while he left to hide the evidence. He also allegedly told a neighbor that Paulsen was lying there because he'd been drinking.

Gilford asked Judge Snyder to maintain bail at $1 million, while Zucker asked for a much lower amount - $50,000.

Snyder, deeming bail "slightly excessive," lowered it to $800,000 cash or bond.

Contact Joe Green at 856-845-3300 ext. 253 or jgreen@southjerseymedia.com