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American Morning

Prosecution Expected to Finish Presenting Case Against Florida Boy Accused of Murdering Teacher

Aired May 08, 2001 - 09:32   ET

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

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: In Florida, jurors are expected to finish watching a videotaped statement today in the trial of a teenage boy charged with gunning down his middle school teacher.

CNN's Mark Potter is live in West Palm Beach, with the latest.

Mark, good morning.

MARK POTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

The prosecution is expected to rest its case today, and then the defense will begin its efforts to convince the jury are the shooting of teacher Barry Grunow last year was not intentional.

At this hour in court, the prosecution is showing the jury the rest of the videotape statement Nathaniel Brazill made to police after the shooting. We can see him sitting there in the middle. A relative is to the left of the screen.

In the segment coming up, to be played today, Nathaniel said that in shooting the teacher, he did something stupid. On tape, he is heard asking, Can you tell me what I did to the teacher?

A police officer said, Yes -- he died.

Nathaniel asks, Well, where at?

The police officer replies, Right there at the school.

Nathaniel then begins to cry.

Earlier, he said the shooting was not premeditated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you plan on shooting Mr. Hines, for suspending you?

NATHANIEL BRAZILL, MURDER SUSPECT: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you plan on shooting Mr. Grunow?

BRAZILL: No. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you plan on injuring anybody?

BRAZILL: Uh-uh, we're like best friends. And I was friends with a lot of the teachers...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You just got mad?

BRAZILL: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you shot him, was he looking at you?

BRAZILL: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did he say?

BRAZILL: I think he was looking at me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And what did he say?

BRAZILL: He said put that thing away, and something else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POTTER: The prosecution has said the killing was premeditated, and has charged the boy with first-degree murder, which carries a life prison term.

The defense has said that its case will take 1 1/2 days, and that at the end of its presentation, Nathaniel himself will take the witness stand. Most likely, that will happen tomorrow, after closing arguments.

The jury could get the case sometime Thursday.

Mark Potter, CNN, reporting live from West Palm Beach, Florida.

KAGAN: Mark, thank you.

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