MARIETTA, Ga. -- The jury is now deciding whether a Brunswick man is guilty of shooting a sleeping baby in its stroller during a robbery.
Attorneys completed their closing arguments at noon, and Glynn County Superior Court Judge Stephen Kelley read them a lengthy set of instructions about the law.
The two-week trial of De'Marquise "Marky" Elkins, age 18, is being held in Cobb County because of the amount of news coverage in this case that has drawn international attention.
Defense attorney Jonathan Lockwood said Brunswick police got the wrong guy based on the misidentification of the upset mother, Sherry West, and biased witnesses, and then detectives refused to consider any other suspects. Instead, they made their evidence fit the case they wanted instead of vice versa, he said.
"They already had their guy. They were only going to look at that," he said. "They were only going to look at that. They were going to pretty it up."
Lockwood argued that Elkins' co-defendant Dominique Lang, 15, was the actual shooter and that he implicated Elkins to protect his cousin and best friend, Joe Lang, who was also supposedly involved.
Both Langs testified against Elkins. Dominique Lang is also charged with murder and will be tried later.
Lockwood reminded jurors of how many witnesses had admitted to lying about various details, including both Langs.
District Attorney Jackie Johnson responded by holding up still images from various security video cameras that she said substantiate those witnesses.
"The video can't conspire with those making up stories," she said. "... All these 'liars' are telling you what happened in the case, but what they're telling you matches up with the videotape."
Elkins is additionally charged with an earlier robbery attempt that also resulted in a shooting, but that victim, the Rev. Wilfredo Calix-Flores, was only wounded. A co-defendant in that case who will be tried later, Dont'e Jackson, 17, testified against, Elkins, too.
If convicted of the murder, Elkins faces life in prison. Because he was 17 at the time of the crime, he cannot be given the death penalty. His mother Kamirah Elkins is also being tried with him for evidence tampering and giving a false alibi.
Johnson accused De'Maquise Elkins of preying on the weak. He decided to rob Calix-Flores because he believed Hispanics were less likely to put up a fight or report the crime, she said, and he attempted to rob West because a mother with a baby is also vulnerable.
"I don't know anyone more weak than a sleeping baby," Johnson said.