The 10-woman, two-man jury went home for the holiday weekend after hearing closing arguments today in the first-degree murder trial of Kandin Eric Wilson. They will begin deliberations Tuesday morning.
Wilson, 29, is accused of killing Susana Pelayo-Perez, a 35-year-old restaurant manager on Sept. 27 in the parking lot of the Shannon Glen Apartments at 260 N. Murray Blvd.
Wilson attorney Philip L. Dubois told the jurors that police arrested the wrong man.
“Kandin Wilson didn’t shoot anybody. He wasn’t there when Susan Pelayo-Perez was shot,” Dubois said.
“So why are we here?” Dubois asked. “Two words: Kyle Gray.”
Dubois referred to the co-defendant who took a plea deal and agreed to testify against Wilson during the two-week trial.
Gray is an admitted member of the American Nazi Party, which he described as a white prison gang. He claimed Wilson, also known by the nickname “Trailer,” was a “prospect” who had been admitted into the party on a probationary basis in September 2009.
Gray testified he was driving the car when Wilson fired the .40 caliber hollowpoint bullet that killed Pelayo-Perez.
Dubois asked the jurors not to be swayed by the pictures prosecutors showed them.
“Pretty is a nice slide show and showing as many photographs as they possible can,” he said. “But pretty is not proof.”
Senior Deputy District Attorney Jeff Lindsey bristled at the reference.
“Let’s get something straight. That man took a woman’s life,” Lindsey said, pointing to the defendant. “It’s as ugly as it comes,” he added. “There’s nothing pretty about that.”
Lindsey reminded jurors that both Gray and the victim’s boyfriend both identified Wilson as the shooter.
To drive home that point, Lindsey showed the jury Wilson’s mug shot and a composite sketch the boyfriend helped police draw of the gunman.
“That’s the man, ladies and gentlemen,” Lindsey said, showing the two images superimposed. “That’s the man.”
Gazette
