Jury will weigh Jelks case this afternoon

WARREN — During closing arguments, the assistant prosecutor in the Regan Jelks involuntary manslaughter case acknowledged that the young woman on trial “looks like a nice young lady.”

But Chris Becker added “sympathy” for her should not be a factor in their deliberations.

Instead, they should look at the law, which says if a person gives the keys to her car to a person with two guns, and a short time later he dies at the hands of a police officer while reaching for one of those guns, she has aided and abetted him in the conduct that got him killed.

Ron Yarwood, one of the attorneys for Jelks, also touched on the demeanor of the 22-year-old Jelks, saying investigators and prosecutors are basing their case against Jelks on a few things she said between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m. the morning her boyfriend was shot to death.

“She endured that entire interview,” Yarwood said.

Jurors went to lunch just after noon and will begin deliberations when they return from lunch.