ATLANTA — The jury has started deliberating in the trial of two men accused of shooting and killing a man walking home along the BeltLine in 2022.
Prosecutors are trying to prove Brandon Williams and Demetrice Ross are responsible for killing Tom Arnold.
Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes was in the Fulton County courtroom on Wednesday where she says the victim’s family was very emotional after seeing pictures of their loved one dead.
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But defense attorneys say their clients didn’t shoot Arnold. They say a third man is responsible.
Initially, there were three suspects in Arnold’s death. But the third person was killed before heading to trial. Attorneys for Williams and Ross say that man is the one who pulled the trigger.
“The killer is no in this courtroom,” attorneys said during closing arguments on Wednesday.
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Prosecutors say that is a convenient theory that jurors should ignore.
“The most important tool you got back there is your common sense, that’s it. Logically, how many coincidences does it take?” prosecutors said.
They say they have met the burden of proof by showing a video where Williams admits he hurt someone during a robbery and a witness who says he heard Williams confess to the murder.
The prosecution also showed text messages where Williams begged friends to help him hide in the days following the murder.
We’ll have the jury’s verdict on WSBTV.com and on Channel 2 Action News as soon as it comes in.
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