Start Of Jury Deliberations Expected Today In Yandamuri Double Murder Trial
By Brad Segall
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS) --- Jury deliberations are expected to begin later today for the trial of an Upper Merion man accused of murdering a 10-month-old baby and her grandmother in what prosecutors contend was a botched kidnapping attempt.
The defense rested its case late Tuesday with Raghu Yandamuri continuing his rambling testimony on the stand.
Even under intense cross-examination from prosecutor Samantha Cauffman, Yandamuri stuck to his story that while he may have been at the crime scene, the murders were committed by two other men.
He stayed away from that during his testimony choosing instead to hammer away at detectives for coercing his confession and failing to follow-up on leads he provided. Attorney Steve Heckman is advising him.
"I think his focus was on other things, especially the confession, which he claims was involuntary," Heckman said. "I don't know why he didn't go into other things."
Prosecutors say Yandamuri's story flies in the face of the mountain of evidence against him. Closing arguments are expected Wednesday morning.