Special to the Herald-Sun
RALEIGH -- Attorneys gave their closing arguments shortly before jurors went into deliberation Wednesday to decide the fate of former Durham minister Robert Reaves, who is charged with last year's brutal murder of an N.C. Central University student.
Jurors are expected to give a verdict today on the trial of 21-year-old Latrese Curtis' alleged killer, closing a week of often incendiary testimony and rigorous inspection of forensic evidence.
Reaves, a former minister at Cedar International Fellowship in Durham, faces charges of first-degree murder. If convicted, he would go to prison for life without the possibility of parole.
Lawyers for Reaves tried to cast doubts on law enforcement's handling of the case and point the finger at Curtis' lover -- Reaves' roommate at the time -- Steven Randolph. Prosecutors, on the other hand, called on jurors to avoid speculation and focus on the evidence: namely DNA testing that indicates Reaves touched the steering wheel of Curtis' car and a state trooper's testimony that he spotted Reaves' car near the crime scene the night of the murder.
Curtis' body, which had been stabbed nearly forty times in the head, neck and midsection, was found on the side of Interstate 540 in Wake County in January 2008. Her abandoned car was discovered a short distance away from her body on the same side of the road.
Prosecutors said Reaves killed Curtis because she was having sex with Randolph, with whom Reaves had developed a sexual relationship, too. Curtis was with Randolph the night before her body was found, and prosecutors said Reaves followed her after she left Randolph's home around 10 p.m. on Jan. 29, 2008.
Several men, including Randolph, testified that Reaves approached them for sex and became angry if rebuffed.
State forensic experts also said DNA evidence links Reaves to Curtis' abandoned Nissan Sentra, which contained some blood spatter.
Investigators searched Reaves' car and found no blood, but another search nine months later turned up a knife. Subsequent testing found no blood on the knife.
Attorneys for Reaves indicated Randolph is a more likely suspect, arguing Reaves' was physically incapable of commiting the crime because he has a bad left arm that hangs "dead at his side." Randolph was a college basketball player.
"This case is not about Robert Reaves," said Reaves' lawyer George Kelly. "This case is about Latrese Curtis and her relationship to Steven Randolph."
Kelly said Reaves' DNA could have ended up on Curtis' steering wheel through "secondary transfer," meaning Reaves could have touched an object that was then handled by someone coming into contact with the wheel.
Reaves' lawyer also questioned why an initial search of Reaves' automobile didn't find the knife.
"He is innocent beyond a reasonable doubt, clearly," Kelly said.
Supreme Court Judge Donald Stephens called on the jury to weigh the evidence fairly before the panel retired to a private room for deliberation.
A verdict is expected this morning.
Billy Ball can be reached via e-mail at billyball24@gmail.com.
