Roderick Washington will not testify on his own behalf.
Both sides have now rested their cases in the retrial of Washington, a 19-year-old double-murder defendant.
Presiding Lee Circuit Judge Thomas Reese has denied the defense?’s request to acquit Washington of two counts each of first-degree murder and kidnaping.
Several more witnesses from the night Alexis Sosa, 18, and his 14-year-old nephew Jeffrey were tortured and killed have pointed to Washington as holding the victims at gunpoint and aiding in taking them to a north Cape Coral industrial park where they were fatally shot.
Andrew Touchstone and Michael Taylor, who attended co-defendant Kemar Johnston?’s 2006 birthday party, said they saw Washington holding a rifle and later a handgun that he used to pistol whip Alexis Sosa.
Touchstone had trouble recalling what kinds of guns others in the house were holding the evening the Sosas were killed.
Ryan Peters, a friend of co-defendant Kenneth Lopez, said he purchased a .22-caliber rifle from Washington for protection. He testified that he later threw the weapon in a canal upon learning the Sosas had been killed.
“I didn’?t want it coming back on me,”? he said.
Reese told the jury the trial would break early for the day.
“I doubt we could have this back to the jury before 6 p.m. or later,” Reese
said, stating it would be more appropriate to resume Monday
He stressed the importance of avoiding media accounts of the trial over the weekend.
Closing arguments will begin Monday at 9 a.m.