Story Created:
Dec 14, 2006 at 10:21 PM AKDT
Story Updated:
Dec 15, 2006 at 2:15 PM AKDT
The Steven Hinshaw murder trial is now in the hands of an Anchorage jury. The prosecution and defense presented closing statements Thursday morning after a judge ruled Hinshaw can claim self-defense.
There was some question Thursday about whether Hinshaw could claim self-defense without taking the stand, but Judge Philip Volland said he can.
Thursday morning was the last chance for each side to present its case. The prosecution said there are eight reasons why the fatal shooting of Crystal St. Auburn was not self-defense. Sharon Marshall pointed out that Hinshaw ran after the crime; that he destroyed the gun; and that he told the passenger in his car to roll down her window and duck before lifting the gun to shoot. Marshall also said forensic evidence proves the car with St. Auburn in it was past the car Hinshaw was driving. Marshall said that proves Levar Macon and St. Auburn were leaving and did not point a gun at Hinshaw.
But defense attorney Joe Van De Mark said the blame for St. Auburn's death lies with her friends. He said Macon is the one who threatened Hinshaw; that Macon is the one who was chasing Hinshaw; and the one who pointed a gun first. Van De Mark also attacked the credibility of the state's witnesses.
In the end though, the decision may come down to the words of Hinshaw. In a taped conversation, Hinshaw talks about the shooting in a very crass way.
Marshall, said, "Dorian Dixon has to say, ‘You need to be serious.’ Why? Because this is a big joke to him. This is really funny. This is not, ‘I had to do it to protect you, Dorian.’"
Van De Mark said, "That's what he was doing that night. He was protecting Regina Bibbs, and Levar Macon just couldn't put up with that. Then Levar Macon found out he had a gun, and Levar Macon went and got a gun."
The jury got the case around 12:30 Thursday. After an hour lunch break, that left them about three hours for deliberations. They'll pick up again Friday morning.
Hinshaw said some things on the way out of court. He basically said that this whole trial is a bunch of B.S. It was after the jury had left, and the guards were taking him out of the courtroom. When hinshaw was right in front of where we always set up our video camera, he said it was self-defense.
He said, "It's a bunch of B.S. That's right, I'm calling it. It's a bunch of B.S."
Of course, he didn't use the abbreviation. It was inconsequential really; hardly anyone heard it.
