1/28/14 - The jury has begun deliberations in the trial of the man charged with being the I-96 shooter. The prosecution and defense in the trial of 44-year-old Raulie Casteel both issued closing statements this morning, with the issue of Casteelâs intent during the spree at the center of their arguments. In its closing statement, the prosecution argued that intent can be determined from actions just as much as words. They said Casteel knew about the community reaction and police response by the second day of the shootings and continued to attack vehicles regardless, showing that it was his intent to continue those reactions. They also argued that Casteel's premeditation was obvious by the fact that he saw the impact of his shootings in the news, the terror it caused and the government response, but chose to continue taking his handgun and extra ammunition in his car and conduct shootings. The defense argued that Casteel's intent to terrorize remained unproven, and that he did not exhibit the premeditation required for the charge. They maintain that he was making a snap decision based on the fear and anxiety brought about by his paranoid delusions, and repeatedly called his actions "insane" or "crazy." They contrasted the shootings with the planning, intent, and goals of the Boston Marathon bombers. With regard to the assault with intent to murder charge, they also stated that the prosecution had not proved Casteel's intent to kill, but rather tried to inflame the jury or manipulate their emotions. The defense openly stated that Casteel was clearly guilty on all of the firearms charges brought against him, and told the jury not to waste time debating those. If convicted on the Livingston County charges, Casteel could spend the rest of his life in prison. Near the end of the day today, the jury asked to watch Casteel's testimony again. The more than two-hour recording will be played at the beginning of deliberations tomorrow morning. (JK/TD)
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