The defendant in the case arising from the killing of former NFL running back Joe McKnight has opted not to present a defense.
As explained by the New Orleans Advocate, Ronald Gasser called no witnesses to testify, resting his case the moment it started.
The move is being interpreted as the expression of a belief that the prosecution failed to satisfy its burden of proving that Gasser was not acting in self-defense when he shot and killed McKnight in December 2016.
Jurors heard roughly 12 hours from Gasser during the prosecution’s case-in-chief, via three recorded statements that Gasser provided to police.
Closing arguments will happen on Friday, and the jury then will deliberate. If Gasser is convicted of second-degree murder, he faces life in prison. He also can be convicted of manslaughter (up to 40 years) or negligent homicide (up to five years). If acquitted, Gasser would exit custody for the first time since he was arrested after admitting to shooting McKnight at the scene of the road rage incident that resulted in McKnight’s death.