Accused murderer Luka Magnotta opted not to take the stand in his own defence Tuesday.

Two months into the first-degree murder trial, Magnotta’s attorney announced they were resting their case without calling him to the stand.

Magnotta has admitted killing Chinese student Jun Lin, but is pleading not criminally responsible due to mental illness.

Because Magnotta is not taking the stand, the jury will never hear a first-person account of what happened on the night of May 24, 2012.

The defendant has every right not to take the stand and Magnotta exercised that right. 

The defence was built entirely on his claim that he suffers from mental illness, and that he was so detached from reality that he could no longer tell right from wrong. 

Magnotta's lawyer, Luc Leclair, has spent the past few weeks questioning witnesses to portray Magnotta as a disturbed, mentally-ill man who was not criminally responsible for his actions.

The defence called 12 witnesses, but mainly focused on two psychiatrists, Dr Marie-Frederick Allard and Dr. Joel Watts.  They were hired and paid for by the defence. 

The psychiatrists testified that Magnotta suffered from schizophrenia, and that he was likely suffering a psychotic episode the night he killed and dismembered Jun Lin.

They also testified in medical terms that Magnotta's cold, calculated behaviour following the killing could be explained medically by the illness.

The final witness the defence called to explain Luka Magnotta's actions in the killing of Jun Lin was the lead investigator in the case.

Michel Bourque was questioned about Magnotta's cell phone habits, and how Magnotta frequently changed his cell phone number in the months before the murder.         

The defence is calling rebuttal witnesses to contradict witnesses from the prosecution.

The first rebuttal witness was Dr. Joel Paris, from the Jewish General Hospital, who met Magnotta for an unspecified reason one month before the 2012 killing.

Paris explained that in his one and only visit, Magnotta claimed to be self-mutilating, although Dr. Paris did not see any scars, and that Magnotta was "only paranoid about getting fat."

Magnotta also told Paris that he heard voices, which he blamed on his heavy drug use.

Magnotta never complained about any of the symptoms or past history associated with schizophrenia, however, said Paris. 

Paris concluded that if Magnotta had any mental illness symptoms, they were likely symptoms of a borderline personality disorder.

The prosecution also called Dr Gilles Chamberland, an expert from the Pinel Institute.  

Chamberland said Magnotta refused to meet with him to be properly assessed, so he was forced to draw his conclusions based on what he heard in court from the defence. 

So far, Chamberland said he believes the symptoms and behaviour displayed by Magnotta are not compatible with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. 

He said he suspects Magnotta might have faked the illness. 

His testimony continues Wednesday as the trial comes close to wrapping up.