After Tremaine Jackson took the stand in own his defense Thursday, attorneys made closing arguments and the jury began deliberations in the case surrounding the shooting death of a Jackson County man on Charleston's West Side.
Jackson reiterated that he did not shoot Bryan Rogers, 29, on Dec. 27, 2015. He told the jury he was standing in front of the funeral home at the time of the shooting.
He said he wasn't in the alleyway where the shooting took place.
"I wasn't there," Jackson said during his cross examination. "I ain't seen him get shot."
Jackson did not answer Kanawha County assistant prosecutor Maryclaire Akers' yes-or-no questions. He addressed the jury as "ladies and gentlemen" and discussed things that did not relate to questions being asked of him.
"Quit elaborating on a whole bunch of other stuff," Circuit Judge Charles King told Jackson during his testimony.
Jackson and his counsel, Robbie Long and Chuck Hamilton, had to take a recess to make sure Jackson knew how to answer questions from prosecutors. Jackson was the only witness for the defense.
Earlier in the day, jurors heard from Keith Kennedy McCleod, who pleaded the Fifth Amendment at the August 2016 trial, which ended in mistrial.
McCleod, also known as "Big Baby," was near the alley where the shooting took place. He said he did not shoot Rogers, although he admitted to having a gun that day.
He said he was friends with Jackson and that they were high on drugs on the day of the shooting.
"Just like every other day," he said.
He said he, Jackson and Jerry "Twin" Marbury were near the shooting. He said he assumed Jackson shot Rogers, since he knew he and Marbury did not.
Marbury was declared unavailable to be at trial because prosecutors were unable to find him to testify. A prosecutor read Marbury's testimony from the original trial to the jury.
During closing statements, Long maintained there was not enough evidence to prove Jackson's guilt.
Assistant prosecutors Akers and Jennifer Gordon told the jury Jackson had committed first-degree murder.
Jurors were dismissed Thursday to deliberate the case and will reconvene at 9:30 a.m. today.
Reach Kayla Asbury at kayla.asbury@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-3051 or follow @kasbury_ on Twitter.