Jury Deliberates West Philadelphia Kindergarten Kidnap-Rape Case
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The kindergartener kidnap case was put into the hands of the jury late this morning.
It's an historically disturbing and grim case: a five-year-old girl kidnapped from the Bryant Elementary School by a woman impersonating her mother, then taken to a house and abused in unspeakable ways, causing horrific physical injuries.
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Two critical pieces of prosecution evidence are DNA -- the defendant's DNA was found on the victim -- and a talking bird.
The young victim said she heard a talking bird in the house, and there is a foul-mouthed macaw in the Regusters' residence.
The defense countered that there was no way to know when or how the DNA got there. And then, during closing arguments, the defense suggested that Regusters had somehow come across the girl, helped her, and then took her to the Upper Darby playground where she was found.
Stay tuned to KYW Newsradio 1060, CBS-3, and CBSphilly.com for the verdict in this case when it is announced.