Beheading defendant’s mother gives emotional testimony while son skips out on trial

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — After courtroom drama Monday abruptly ended the defense’s case in the middle of the defendant’s testimony, a man accused of beheading his child’s mother with a sword last year skipped out on his own trial Tuesday, while his own mother provided emotional testimony in court. Jose Rafael Solano Landaeta’s absence came just one day after a bizarre courtroom episode that unfolded when the 34-year-old defendant was cross-examined by prosecutors: He denied committing the killing and even denied recognizing a photo of the victim — 27-year-old Karina Castro — while testifying und...