CHARLOTTE (Court TV) — Former NBA player Charles Shackleford acknowledged that his memory of events at issue in Rae Carruth's capital murder trial is "fuzzy" and at least partly based on what his frequently deceptive former mistress told him.

"My mind is a little vague," the retired center acknowledged telling investigators. "Things were really fuzzy, man."

Shackleford made the admission during a tough cross-examination by the former football player's lawyer Tuesday morning. The defense's attempt to undermine Shackleford's testimony is part of its continuing effort to discredit Candace Smith, a former stripper who had affairs with both Shackleford and Carruth. She testified last week that Carruth confessed to murdering yet another former stripper, Cherica Adams, a 24-year-old pregnant with his child.

Shackleford corroborated Smith's account Monday, telling jurors that she had recounted the confession to him and included many of the details to which she later testified. But on the stand Tuesday, Shackleford could not recall or did not know times, dates and other specifics. He also offered — albeit grudgingly — an unflattering portrait of Smith as a two-timing gold digger jealous of Adams' relationship with Carruth. According to Shackleford, Smith hid from him her relationship with Carruth even as she accepted thousands of dollars of his money for rent, car payments and other expenses.

"She was able during this whole time period to keep you uninformed about what she was doing with Mr. Carruth?" defense attorney David Rudolf asked.

"I guess, I mean I wasn't really watching her like that. I have a life," Shackleford said.

Dressed in a lapel-less black suit and black shirt, Shackleford appeared uncomfortable throughout his testimony, facing away from Rudolf and repeatedly shifting his 6-foot-11-inch frame in the witness chair. The married father of three seemed especially irritated when Rudolf brought up the player's family and the dishonesty of infidelity.

"You feel like you're an honest person?" Rudolf asked.

"Yeah," Shackleford replied.

"How long have you been married?"

Glaring at the attorney, Shackleford shot back, "What's that got to do with anything?"

He rejected Rudolf's claim that he had lied to his wife, saying, "I didn't lie. I just didn't say anything."

Shackleford acknowledged having trouble remembering specifics about what Smith said and did after the shooting. He admitted that the account he gave investigators was a combination of what he recalled himself and what Smith told him.

"I sort of took one and one and put it together," he said.

Rudolf tried to get Shackleford to admit that Smith was untrustworthy, confronting him with evidence of her ongoing relationship with Carruth. Shackleford refused, saying he considered her an honest person.

He did describe her as antagonistic toward Adams. He said Smith instigated a verbal altercation with Adams at an August 1999 rap concert. Shackleford was talking to Adams when Smith happened upon them and told Shackleford, "Don't talk to that bitch."

He said Smith later explained that she had been dating Carruth and was angry that Adams was pregnant by him.

The defense has alleged that Smith testified against Carruth because she felt he jilted her when Adams became pregnant.

During a brief redirect examination, Shackleford said Smith told him that Carruth discussed having Adams beaten to cause a miscarriage. He also got a chance to explain why he was testifying.

"Because a crime has been committed," he said before being cut off by an objection from Rudolf.

Amidst Shackleford's testimony comes another famous name in the trial, at least in legal circles. Renowned criminologist Henry Lee, who testified in the O.J. Simpson trial, is slated to testify for the defense but the jury won't get to see him in person. Since Lee won't be available to testify in the Charlotte courtroom, Judge Charles Lamm agreed to allow videotaped testimony to be taken Wednesday evening and then presented to the jury later once the defense puts on its case.

Also testifying Tuesday were phone company representatives who detailed for the jury calls placed between phones belonging to Carruth, Adams, Smith, his co-defendants and even the theater where Carruth and Adams saw "The Bone Collector" shortly before she was shot.

Lynn Skinner of AT&T Wireless Services outlined cell calls placed by Carruth, Kennedy and Adams. A manager for Bell South, Miles Biggerstaff, detailed for the jury calls made from Carruth's home.

Also taking the stand Tuesday morning was Sailesh Patel, a partner in the motel where Carruth's co-defendant Van Brett Watkins lived. He said Watkins lived at the motel for two to three months before his arrest and did some work washing the motel's exterior to earn part of his rent money.

Outside the courtroom yesterday, Carruth's father, Charles Wiggins, said he was pleased with Rudolf's cross-examination of key state witnesses Shackleford and Smith.

"I'm really encouraged, considering most of the people involved as witnesses against Rae are people who have a lot to hide," said Wiggins. "They are not really able to tell the full truth because of how it effects their lives."