Swayed by Defendant's Testimony, Jurors Puzzle Lawyers With Verdict
Demetrius Carey was charged as a triggerman, at age 14, in an alleged robbery-gone-bad that resulted in the death of a 56-year-old South Florida woman on her front steps as she was returning from the grocery store. But the now-16-year-old defendant apparently may have saved himself from a potential life sentence in a first-degree murder case by testifying in his own defense on Tuesday.
After his on-the-stand explanation of why he was using the victim’s cell phone within 15 minutes or so of her death (he said he bought it from an acquaintance), Carey was found guilty of second-degree murder, reports the Miami Herald. The verdict resulted in puzzled looks from many in the courtroom, including lawyers in the case, the newspaper article says.
”What I gathered from the verdict is that the jury doesn’t think he killed this woman, but that he may have been with the person that did do it,” says attorney Johnny McCray Jr., who represents Carey. “He was charged as the man who pulled the trigger and committed the crime alone. This is very confusing and disappointing.”
Assistant State Attorney David Frankel said the verdict was reasonable.
Carey reportedly plans to appeal. He is now facing 20 years to life when he is sentenced on June 27, according to the Herald.
