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Florida Jury Deliberates Case of Boys Accused of Killing Dad

Aired September 06, 2002 - 14:12   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: For the second time in two weeks, a jury in Pensacola, Florida, is deliberating the same case of murder. This time, the defendants are two brothers who were 12 and 13 when their father was beaten to death.
CNN's Mark Potter is monitoring events at the courthouse.

Mark, what has happened so far?

MARK POTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, the jury got the case about four hours ago, and it has only come back into the courtroom one time since, to ask a quick question. The jurors have some tough choices to make between the two theories of the case. And also, there are questions over the evidence itself, whether there is enough to support the state's charges.

The prosecution claims that Alex and Derek King, ages now 13 and 14, beat their father to death with a baseball bat and then set the house on fire. They are charged with first-degree murder and arson, although the jury can also consider second-degree murder and manslaughter charges.

In closing arguments yesterday, the prosecutor told the jury that in their confessions in November, the boys supplied too many details not to be involved in the killings. He also urged the jury not to be swayed by emotion or sympathy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID RIMMER, PROSECUTOR: Ladies and gentlemen, on November the 26th, the work of Derek and Alex was not pure, and it was not right. You should judge them by their actions, not their ages, by their intent, not by your emotions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POTTER: The boys would later take back those confessions that they gave in November, saying that they had been manipulated. They now blamed 40-year-old Ricky Chavis for killing their father. Chavis, a convicted pedophile, was a family friend. He spent time with the boys. He is charged by the state with actually having sex with Alex, the 13-year-old younger brother.

Now, in their closing statements, the defense attorneys said that there is no credible evidence linking the boys to the crime scene. They also questioned the thoroughness of the murder investigation itself. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES STOKES, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Did the state prove beyond to the exclusion of every reasonable doubt that my client, the then 12- year-old Alex King, was a principal to murder, and did the state prove that he committed arson?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POTTER: In an unusual move, Ricky Chavis was actually indicted and tried separately on this very same murder charges that the boys face now. His trial was last week. There was a verdict, but it has been sealed and will not be read publicly until there is a verdict in this case involving the two boys. If anyone in either of the two cases is convicted of first-degree murder, they would face automatically life in prison without parole -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Mark Potter, thank you so much.

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