Teresa Sievers murder trial: Jury will continue deliberation Wednesday in the case against Jimmy Rodgers: Day 9

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Jimmy Rodgers moments after the announcement Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019 that the jury will take another day to deliberate in the trial for the murder of Dr. Teresa Seivers. (Credit: WINK News)
Jimmy Rodgers moments after the announcement Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019 that the jury will take another day to deliberate in the trial for the murder of Dr. Teresa Seivers. (Credit: WINK News)

It is decision day in the long quest for justice for the beloved Doctor, Teresa Sievers, who was beaten to death in her Bonita Springs home in 2015.

On Tuesday, jurors will start deliberating if Jimmy Rodgers is guilty of the murder or not.

The jury is left to consider two very different arguments about the defendant.

For one, the state paints him as a killer, who didn’t even flinch when seeing the pictures of the bloody crime scene.

“Hardly a person upset by what has just happened. Rather seeming to be content with himself, a person who has completed their mission,” said Cynthia Ross, the Assistant State Attorney.

The state walked jurors back through the timeline and evidence, giving them one more look at the coveralls investigators say Rodgers was wearing during the alleged murder, as well as surveillance video and the hammer that was used to kill Dr. Sievers.

The defense, on the other hand, used their closing arguments to try to pin the whole thing on the state’s key witness.

The accused accomplice, Curtis Wayne Wright already pleaded guilty to the murder. The defense is arguing that there is not enough evidence to prove anyone else was involved.

“There’s nothing the state has provided that shows Jimmy Ray Rodgers in that house. The only thing they have is what that liar told you that convicted felon,” Defense Attorney Donald McFarlane said.

The jury has received their instructions and has started deliberations.

Around 11:45 a.m., the jury requested the transcripts for Taylor Shomaker’s testimony. That request was denied, but the Judge said he could allow for the testimony to be read back in full.

Shomaker, Jimmy Rodgers’ ex-girlfriend, is a key witness in the case. She was on the stand for nearly two hours. The Judge had the court reporter do the reading, which took about half an hour.

The jury later asked for 11 more copies of the jury instructions so they could each have on.

Still no verdict in the case. We are approaching hour seven of deliberation.

The jury sent a note to the courtroom that read “The jury has not come to an agreement. It is unlikely we will come to an agreement tonight.”

The judge then wrote a note back asking the jury to explain if they are deadlocked or need more time to deliberate.

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