Prosecution, Defense Rest in Eve Carson Murder Trial;

Closing Arguments to Come on Monday

 

 

 

Murder victim Eve Carson

 

 

 

 

 

Defendant Laurence Lovette Jr. in Orange

Superior Court on Wednesday

 

 

By David in TN

 

After calling 43 witnesses over seven days, the prosecution rested their case Thursday in the trial of Laurence Lovette Jr. for the murder of UNC student body president Eve Carson.

 

 

Convicted killer of Eve Carson, Demario James "Rio" Atwater,

at March 12, 2008 bail arraignment. Lovette allegedly

kidnapped, robbed, and murdered Carson with Atwater

 

 

 

Prosecutor Jim Woodall
 
 

N&O: "Lovette defense attorneys Kevin Bradley, left, and Karen Bethea-Shields confer quietly Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011, during a brief break in prosecution witness testimony in the Battle Courtroom, Hillsborough, NC." Photo by Harry Lynch.

 

If Lovette is convicted, his attorneys, Karen Bethea-Shields and Kevin Bradley, will surely argue on appeal that Presiding Judge Allen Baddour's permitting the prosecution to mention in front of the jury that their client was also charged with murdering Duke graduate student Abhijit Mahato two months prior to the Carson murder was prejudicial.

 

The defense rested without calling any witnesses. Judge Allen Baddour scheduled closing arguments for Monday to give attorneys time to prepare.

 

 

 

Judge Allen Baddour

 

 

Testimony Thursday centered on cellphone records and surveillance video. An FBI agent testified that Lovette's cellphone made a connection to a tower near East Franklin Street, approximately 0.3 miles from Carson's off-campus home. The phone was used at 3:02 a.m. on March 5, 2008, the time of the murder.

 

State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) experts Scott Jones and Ivy McMillan testified as to the weapons used in the murder and the DNA evidence collected.

 

 

 

N&O: "SBI firearm and tool mark expert witness Scott Jones identifies for the Lovette jury Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011, the sawed off barrel of 12 gauge single barrel shotgun recovered during investigation of the murder of UNC student body president Eve Carson in March, 2008." Photo by Harry Lynch.

 

 

N&O: "SBI forensic scientist/DNA expert Ivy McMillan

began a second day on the witness stand Wednesday,

Dec. 14, 2011, familiarizing the Lovette jury with the

DNA process she used in discovering whose DNA was

in/on the Toyota Highlander SUV belonging to Eve

Carson during prosecution testimony in the Battle

Courtroom, Hillsborough, NC. Photo by Harry Lynch.
 

 

N&O: "Orange DA James Woodall, Jr., left, holds a large chart for SBI forensic scientist/DNA expert Ivy McMillan, next, as she indicated to the Lovette jury Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011, the DNA process she used in discovering whose DNA was in/on the Toyota Highlander SUV belonging to Eve Carson during prosecution testimony in the Battle Courtroom, Hillsborough, NC. Presiding Judge Allen Baddour, right, left the bench briefly to view the presentation." Photo by Harry Lynch.

 

This means Lovette was seen on video at an ATM withdrawing money from Carson's account, along with testimony from his friends that he described the murder to them. Lovette also used his cellphone at the scene of the crime, at the time it took place. The final evidence is Lovette's DNA in Carson's SUV.

 

Eve Carson Elected Student Body President



From the February 21, 2007, broadcast of Carolina Week.

When this trial ends, Lovette will be tried for murdering Duke

graduate engineering student Abhijit Mahato two months

prior to the Carson murder