Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

PROVIDENCE -- The jury has reached a verdict in the murder trial of Gilbert Delestre, who is accused of beating to death his girlfriend's 3-year-old nephew in 2004.

The jury announced that it had reached a verdict shortly before 3 p.m., according to Michael Healey, a spokesman for the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office.

The jury has not yet reported the verdict.

The verdict comes on the second day of deliberations. Jurors returned to their deliberations this morning after deliberating for about four hours yesterday.

Yesterday , they asked Superior Court Judge Netti C. Vogel to clarify two legal terms: premeditation and "mere moment."

Delestre is charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy.

Lawyers delivered closing arguments Tuesday in Providence County Superior Court.

Defense lawyer Robert Mann said Delestre did not intend to kill the child, Thomas "T.J." Wright, and should not be convicted of murder. Mann said in closing arguments that Delestre's actions that night fit a manslaughter charge.

Prosecutors say that on Oct. 30, 2004, Delestre and his then-girlfriend, Katherine Bunnell, beat T.J. upon returning to their Woonsocket apartment after a night out to find a mess on the living room floor.

T.J. was so badly beaten that he was declared brain dead and died the next day.

Babysitter Kayla Roderick testified at trial that Delestre and Bunnell took turns beating T.J. Delestre admitted hitting the boy in the head as they climbed the stairs and that T.J. fell backwards. But Delestre has said he did not intend to kill him.

Bunnell was convicted in May of second-degree murder and a charge of conspiracy to commit murder. She is serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole.

 Tags  Delestre Gilbert Delestre Katherine Bunnell murder trial Providence RI T.J. Wright Thomas J. Wright Woonsocket

Comments

JUDITH PEREZ said:

THATS WHAT UNCALL FOR YOU SEE WHAT DRUGS DO TI THE MIND AND INNOCENT CHILD IS KILLED FOR WHAT TELL ME FOR WHAT BECAUSE HE MADE A MESS POEPLE THINK THATS NOTHING WHEN POEPLE USES DRUGS .IM DISGUSTED BY THIS IN SOCIETY FOR EVERYTHING THATS GOING ON AN INNOCENT LIFE WAS TAKEN

Link | January 6, 2009 2:22 PM
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