Thursday, May 30, 2013
 
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Prosecution presents closing arguments in Chris Harris murder trial

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[May 30, 2013]  PEORIA -- Thursday morning, the small courtroom in the Peoria County Courthouse where closing arguments in the Christopher Harris murder trial would be heard was filled to beyond capacity.

The courtroom seats only about 50 people, but folding chairs were brought in to help accommodate as many as possible. Guards were then forced to turn some spectators away because of the overcrowding.

The attendees in the gallery appeared to be a mix of family members on both Harris' side and the Gees. There were a number of media professionals in the room as well.

Closings were set to begin at 8:30 a.m. The first to arrive in the room were all attorneys and Christopher Harris. Harris and his attorney Dan Fultz spent time quietly talking before the jury was brought in at around 8:40 a.m.

There are five men and seven women on the jury, plus alternates. The alternates would also hear the closing statements. During deliberations, if a juror should have to be dismissed, an alternate will be used and deliberations will have to start over.

The prosecution was the first to make their case to the jury, with Assistant Attorney General Michael Atterberry being the speaker for the prosecution.

Atterberry began by setting the scene of what happened on the night of the murders. A witness provided evidence that moments before the Harris brothers arrived at the home, Rick Gee was alive, awake and texting to a female friend in the community.

The Harris brothers arrived unannounced and uninvited at the Gee home after a night of drinking, drugs and looking for female companionship. Atterberry told the jurors Chris Harris wanted to "get laid" but had struck out three times that night.

Atterberry addressed the murder weapon, saying that even though Chris Harris denied it, the tire iron was in his truck prior to the murders. He said Harris took the iron into the home with him. Atterberry backed this up with testimony from Jason Harris to that effect, and also said the iron did fit new lug nuts on the tires of the Harris vehicle.

Atterberry said Chris Harris described what had happened in the house. Chris told Jason he was in Justina's room when Dillen came in and asked what was going on. Harris struck Justina, and "took care of Ruth." After that he "took care of" Austin Gee, who had run to a bathroom.

In regard to Dillen Constant, who Chris Harris said was bloody when he first saw him that night, Atterberry said evidence shows and Jason Harris' testimony supports the fact that Dillen escaped the house through a window unharmed and not bloody.

Atterberry recounted Jason Harris' testimony that outside the house Dillen Constant held his hands up, begging Chris Harris to "please stop." Dillen was on his back and Chris was standing over him, repeatedly hitting him with the tire iron. Dillen had retreated outside looking for Jason Harris to offer him help, but Jason did not help.

Afterward, Atterberry said Dillen Constant returned to the home to try to protect or save his family from Chris.

Harris told his brother that Dillen was the hardest to kill because he had a knife. The knife was found outside the home during the police investigations.

Atterberry told the jury that all these claims are supported by blood evidence inside and outside the home. He told the jury "blood evidence tells a powerful story and proves prosecution's case."

He added that for the defense to call this a case of self-defense is laughable. Atterberry hammered home that Dillen was a victim. He told the jurors Dillen was beaten outside the home and went back in, where he was again beaten in the master bedroom. He said evidence showed that Dillen was crawling on his hands and knees in the room and was struck again and again by Christopher Harris. Atterberry said Dillen was near death by that time, and it was a miracle he was even able to get to the master bedroom.

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Using one of the many photos of the victims and crime scene, Atterberry showed the jury a mark on Dillen's face. He also showed blood stains identified as Dillen's on and under the bed and explained that the mark and other evidence gathered indicates that Dillen may have been under the bed trying to hide and was dragged out in the final moments of his life. He said the evidence that Dillen was trying to hide totally destroys the defense's claims of self-defense.

He drove home his point, saying: "It's easy to blame a 14-year-old boy who isn't here to defend himself."

Atterberry said Dillen was the hero in this situation. He had tried to defend and help his family.

Atterberry went on to describe the wounds suffered by all the victims as being similar. The blows were delivered to the head and body, and all had defensive wounds on their arms, including 3-year-old Tabitha Gee, who survived.

Moving on to the Jason Harris testimony, Atterberry said that it was only logical that Chris Harris would have told his younger brother what he had done and how it all happened.

He then posed the question to the jury: "Why?" Why didn't Chris Harris call the cops if his story is truth, and why didn't he tell his brother it was self-defense?

Chris Harris thought he had outsmarted the cops, Atterberry said. He destroyed evidence and even went so far as to buy a new pair of shoes in a larger size to throw the cops off.

Atterberry also spoke about the stolen laptop. He told jurors the laptop could have been Chris Harris' salvation. So, why did he destroy it? Because he was afraid it would show what happened that night. Atterberry said Harris destroyed it because he was "worried" about what it might hold.

Atterberry continued his prosecution of Harris by telling of the bathroom where Austin Gee was found. Going to the palm print in the bathroom belonging to Harris, Atterberry said the print was in the perfect position for one who needed leverage in order to deliver blows to the child. He also reminded the jury that the palm print contained blood evidence from three different people. Harris claimed he slipped in the blood when he was checking on Austin, but Atterberry said there was no evidence to support that.

Again talking about the shoes, Atterberry reminded the jury that Dillen Constant was barefoot. He said there were shoe prints all over the house, but not barefoot prints.

The next topic in Atterberry's presentation was the Harris vehicle. He said Harris made an attempt to clean the truck and remove blood evidence, but forensic experts found eight blood evidence samples inside the truck.

Blood on the steering wheel belonged to three different people, though none was specifically identified. Rick Gee's blood was also found inside the truck.

Back to the tire iron and the physical beatings, evidence shows that at least 158 blows were delivered to various members of the Gee household. Of those, Dillen Constant received 46.

Atterberry drove home his point, saying: "There is no way on God's green earth that Dillen got those blows before Chris got there." (Harris' testimony contended that Dillen was bloody when he arrived and that Harris struck him in self-defense, but does not account for 46 blows in his story.)

After more than two hours, Atterberry started winding down his presentation. The judge had ordered that the two sides would be allowed three hours each to present three closings. This included rebuttal.

The defense will offer their closing, and then Logan County State's Attorney Jonathan Wright will deliver the rebuttal for the prosecution.

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