The men who fatally shot former PC World senior technical editor Rex Farrance [pictured] broke into his Pittsburg, California home in January 2007 in search of money and marijuana, according to the testimony of one of the defendants.

Cleothius Termaine Amos, 27, testified in the state’s Contra Costa County court Tuesday that he and his fellow defendants—Darryl Hudson, also 27, and Montrell Hall, 25—as well as a fourth man, broke into Farrance’s home to steal marijuana, according to a Contra Costa Times news report [1]. Farrance’s 21-year-old son, Sterling Farrance, testified that he began growing marijuana in the house in 2006 after he obtained legal permission to do so for medical reasons.

Police reportedly [2] found more than 100 marijuana plants and several pounds of processed marijuana at Farrance’s home.

Amos last week pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in exchange for his testimony. On Monday, attorneys for Hudson and Hall delivered [3] statements placing the blame on Amos.

Farrance’s widow, Lenore Van Tosh-Farrance—who was at home during the break-in—testified Tuesday that two masked men followed Farrance into their bedroom on the night of the crime. As he searched for money, one of the men shot him in the chest.

Amos testified that the men stole a safe, a laptop computer and a pound of marijuana. The trial is ongoing.