Cross-examination of Michael Ball wrapped up Thursday, with the accused murderer testifying that he had no memory of a number of comments he made prior to Erin Howlett’s disappearance and death.

Ball is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Howlett. He has pleaded not guilty.

During his testimony, he disputed a number of points made by the Crown, including that he cut his mattress into pieces after dumping Howlett’s body into the river.

He has said that he did not kill Howlett or dispose of her body, and that he still has the same mattress he did at the time of her June disappearance.

During Thursday’s cross-examination, Ball was asked if Howlett visited his apartment on June 25, 2013 – two days before her disappearance.

He responded that he did not remember her being there. He was then shown cell phone records indicating otherwise, including a text message he sent reading “Erin is here.”

Ball has testified that he was drinking heavily during that time period, and that his memories of June 2013 are mainly a “blur.”

On the stand Thursday, he said he had no recollection of a number of conversations and text messages jurors had heard about earlier in the trial, most of which centred around the idea that he was mad at Howlett and planned to buy a duffel bag.

A duffel bag containing Howlett’s remains was found in the Grand River eight days after her disappearance.

Ball’s testimony seemed to line up with what he told police during an interview weeks before his arrest.

“To my recollection then and today, I never said those things,” he said Thursday.

The 24-year-old did admit to saying “a lot of stupid things when I was drunk,” noting that any text messages introduced as evidence were “obviously” things he must have said, even if he could not remember saying them.

Jurors heard that a number of text messages from the day of Howlett’s disappearance were deleted from Ball’s phone.

Some of the deleted messages were between Ball and Howlett, while others were between him and Daniel Warwick – the man who claims he helped Ball dispose of Howlett’s body.

Asked why he deleted the messages, Ball said that he couldn’t remember specifically, but he often deleted messages from Warwick because they were drug-related.

Ball was also asked why he downplayed his relationship with Howlett to police.

“I was never her boyfriend,” he told investigators at one point.

The trial has heard that the two were dating. Ball has said that he loved Howlett.

“I didn’t want cops looking at me,” he said Thursday.