Was Chad Alphonse defending himself from a potentially deadly attack or was he angry and aiming to kill two years ago when he stabbed his friend?
That鈥檚 the question a 麻豆精选 jury comprised of eight women and four men will be grappling with today as they go into deliberations.
Alphonse is charged with the second degree murder of Waylon Jackson.
He was one among a group of four guests at Jackson鈥檚 house March 11, 2016 preparing for a babyshower for Jackson鈥檚 newborn daughter.
READ MORE: 鈥楽TOP,鈥� WIFE OF SLAIN MAN CALLED OUT
Little in the way of preparation was done that night other that drinking and smoking pot, so in the early evening Jackson went upstairs with his common-law wife, Naomi Foureyes, to attend to their newborn daughter and the party came to an end.
Downstairs Alphonse and his girlfriend鈥攚ho is also Naomi鈥檚 sister鈥攇ot into an argument about how they were getting home.
The options were to call one of their grandparents or take the bus and the conversation got heated.
That鈥檚 when the situation took a fatal turn.
Defence lawyer Terry LaLibert茅 told jurors in closing submissions that Jackson went down the stairs 鈥渕ad as a hatter鈥� that Alphonse and his girlfriend were causing a disturbance.
鈥淗e wants them out of there,鈥� said LaLibert茅.
That anger led to a fight, he told jurors, and Jackson had Alphonse down and was pummelling him in a corner when Naomi Foureyes went down the stairs to see what was happening.
From the entry to the kitchen, she watched as Jackson then started hitting Alphonse over the head with a steel chair.
That鈥檚 when Foureyes yelled out for the fighting to stop.
鈥溾�榃aylon stop it, you鈥檙e going to kill him,鈥欌�� is what she said, LaLibert茅 reminded jurors, referring to testimony rendered in the trial.
鈥淲hat does that put in a person鈥檚 mind?鈥�
A mind, he added, that was addled by a night of heavy boozing. Jackson dropped the chair and started to walk away.
Foureyes testified that he was looking at her as though he was going to say something.
LaLibert茅 told jurors that it was more likely that he was going toward his large machete shaped knife that was on the kitchen counter. He had shown it to 鈥渢he boys鈥� earlier in the night.
Alphonse told police that he hadn鈥檛 seen the knife since the previous Christmas, but LaLiberte said that the knife had a presence and it鈥檚 unlikely that he didn鈥檛 know it was there or the threat it posed.
That鈥檚 when he got up and fatally stabbed Jackson.
While LaLiberte presented the act as a reflex of survival, Crown counsel David Grabavac said Alphonse made a decision to cause bodily harm that he knew had the potential to kill.
鈥淗e stabbed Jackson because he was angry鈥攈e was angry because he lost the fight, and he was stabbing in retaliation,鈥� said Grabavac.
He said that Jackson had his back turned to Alphonse, and pointed out that Foureyes had called her partner away from the confrontation.
As Jackson walked away, toward his wife and baby and with his back toward Alphonse, he was stabbed three times. Once creating an S-shape wound on his back, the next time under the armpit and the third time, through his lung and through the left ventricle of his heart.
That third strike with the knife was fatal and Jackson fell to the ground as fast as he likely turned around to face his assailant.
鈥淎lphonse鈥檚 actions were deliberate and purposeful,鈥� Grabavac said.
