Special to the Herald-Sun
RALEIGH -- Jury deliberations continued long into the afternoon Thursday before adjourning for the night in the murder trial of former Durham minister Robert Reaves.
Reaves is accused of killing 21-year-old N.C. Central University student Latrese Curtis, whose body was found lying near Interstate 540 in Wake County last year.
Jurors went into seclusion Wednesday afternoon after a week of sordid testimony in the case. Prosecutors accused Reaves of killing Curtis because she was having sex with his then-roommate Steven Randolph. Reaves had developed a sexual relationship with Randolph too.
The jury is considering first- or second-degree murder charges against Reaves. The former comes with a lifetime prison sentence without the possibility of parole.
They were expected to emerge with a verdict Thursday, but closed-door deliberations spanned several hours and included requests to review Curtis' and Reaves' cell phone records.
Reaves was a minister at Cedar International Fellowship in Durham when Curtis' body was found in January 2008. She had been stabbed dozen of times in the head, neck and midsection.
Police arrested Reaves days after Curtis' body was found.
A state trooper testified he saw Reaves car on Interstate 540 the morning of the murder, despite Reaves' claims that he was attending a church function that night. Forensic experts also pointed to DNA evidence that indicates Reaves touched the steering wheel of Curtis' car, which was found abandoned that morning near her body.
Defense attorneys for Reaves tried to cast doubt on the state's case by arguing that the DNA testing is fallible and that Reaves was physically incapable of committing the crime because he has a bad left arm that hangs dead at his side.
Randolph, a student athlete, was more capable of murdering Curtis, Reaves' lawyers said.
Curtis was married at the time, but Randolph testified he was having an affair with her. Prosecutors said she was with Randolph the night of her disappearance, and Reaves followed her from the home.
Billy Ball can be reached via e-mail at billyball24@gmail.com.
