OLYMPIA, Wash. -- A man charged with killing a Lacey woman testified he had sex with her but did not strangle her.

In Tuesday's testimony at his murder trial in Olympia, Mike Braae said he saw Lori Jones leave a motel parking lot with another man.

Thurston County prosecutors say DNA evidence links Braae to the 2001 rape and killing of the 44-year-old woman. He testified he had no reason to want to harm her.

Braae also testified about his reputation at "Cowboy Mike," who wooed women in bars by playing his guitar and singing country songs.

The 48-year-old is already serving an assault sentence in Idaho where he was arrested in July of 2001 after jumping into the Snake River during a police chase.

A separate Braae trial in Yakima in 2006 ended in a mistrial when a Yelm woman who had been shot in the head was unable to testify because of her brain injury.

Jones' body was found under her apartment bed. Investigators said she'd been strangled and repeatedly stabbed with a screwdriver.

The last time anyone had seen Jone's alive was the night of July 6, 2001 at Bailey's, a bar. The bartenders say she left with Braae, who was a regular customer.