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St. Charles, MO —
5 p.m. : Jury finds Cazares guilty on two accounts of second-degree murder and two accounts of armed criminal action. A full story will be available in tomorrow's newspaper and online.
2:56 p.m. : Attorneys have given their closing statements to the jury and the selected men and women are now deliberating on the fate of Manuel Cazares. Prosecutors are asking for a gulity verdict of two accounts of both second-degree murder and armed criminal action. The defense team says this was a crime of passion, not murder and is asking the jury to consider involuntary manslaughter in the first degree.
Earlier today : Manuel Cazares has taken the stand in his own murder trial.
After re-accounting his relationship with Amanda Thomas, he described in great detail what happened the morning of Feb. 28, 2009 when Thomas, his ex-girlfriend and mother of his son, and Carl Patrick Epley were found stabbed to death in Thomas’ Hannibal apartment.
Speaking through interpreters, Cazares told the jury that he went to Thomas’ apartment the morning of Feb. 28, 2009 and after several knocks were not answered, he went into the residence when he discovered the door was unlocked. Cazares said he saw beer bottles on the floor along with men and women’s clothing. As he approached the bedroom, Epley and Thomas were sound asleep.
“It was something that I couldn’t accept,” Cazares said.
He testified earlier that he and Thomas had reconciled and were going to rebuild their relationship.
After discovering his son and Thomas’ daughter from another relationship weren’t in the house, Cazares said he went to the kitchen and got a knife.
“I just felt rage, rage in my body,” Cazares said. "I saw that they were naked and started to stab them.”
Family members began to tremble and wipe away tears, Cazares did the same briefly.
During cross examination, prosecutor Kevin Zoellner asked Cazares, “Would you have let those two people live if the children were home?”
He hesitated and responded.
“I probably would have let them live,” Cazares said.
The defense has not officially rested. Closing statements are expected later today. It is not clear if a verdict will be reached when the day concludes.
5 p.m. : Jury finds Cazares guilty on two accounts of second-degree murder and two accounts of armed criminal action. A full story will be available in tomorrow's newspaper and online.
2:56 p.m. : Attorneys have given their closing statements to the jury and the selected men and women are now deliberating on the fate of Manuel Cazares. Prosecutors are asking for a gulity verdict of two accounts of both second-degree murder and armed criminal action. The defense team says this was a crime of passion, not murder and is asking the jury to consider involuntary manslaughter in the first degree.
Earlier today : Manuel Cazares has taken the stand in his own murder trial.
After re-accounting his relationship with Amanda Thomas, he described in great detail what happened the morning of Feb. 28, 2009 when Thomas, his ex-girlfriend and mother of his son, and Carl Patrick Epley were found stabbed to death in Thomas’ Hannibal apartment.
Speaking through interpreters, Cazares told the jury that he went to Thomas’ apartment the morning of Feb. 28, 2009 and after several knocks were not answered, he went into the residence when he discovered the door was unlocked. Cazares said he saw beer bottles on the floor along with men and women’s clothing. As he approached the bedroom, Epley and Thomas were sound asleep.
“It was something that I couldn’t accept,” Cazares said.
He testified earlier that he and Thomas had reconciled and were going to rebuild their relationship.
After discovering his son and Thomas’ daughter from another relationship weren’t in the house, Cazares said he went to the kitchen and got a knife.
“I just felt rage, rage in my body,” Cazares said. "I saw that they were naked and started to stab them.”
Family members began to tremble and wipe away tears, Cazares did the same briefly.
During cross examination, prosecutor Kevin Zoellner asked Cazares, “Would you have let those two people live if the children were home?”
He hesitated and responded.
“I probably would have let them live,” Cazares said.
The defense has not officially rested. Closing statements are expected later today. It is not clear if a verdict will be reached when the day concludes.
