The fate of a man charged in a deadly shooting in North Miami more than a decade ago is now in the hands of a jury.
Anthawn Ragan is accused of killing Luis Perez at a Motel 7 in Nov. 2013. Ragan, who pleaded not guilty to the crime, is facing the death penalty if convicted.
The case went to the jury at 11:15 a.m. on Thursday after the judge issued her instructions.
“Killing with premeditation is killing after consciously deciding to do so. The decision must be present in the mind at the time of the killing. The question of premeditation is a finding of fact to be determined by you,” Circuit Court Judge Marisa Tinkler-Mendez explained to the 12 person jury.
The judge told the jurors that there were four options for them to consider; guilty of first-degree murder, guilty of second-degree murder, manslaughter and not guilty.
There was a delay in deliberations three hours in because the jury asked the judge if testimony could be read back to them from Ragan’s alleged accomplice, Terry Nealy.
The trial
During the trial, prosecutors maintained Ragan had the intent to kill Perez at the motel and should be sentenced to death.
The defense argued that the prosecution’s basis for a first-degree murder charge isn’t substantiated.
Ragan opted not to testify.
Testimony involving previous crimes presented
Testimony related to three separate November 2013 crimes was presented during the trial.
A firearms expert testified that shell casings found at multiple crime scenes matched the same 9-millimeter firearm used.
One of the key incidents discussed was the Hong Kong Nails shooting, where Ragan is accused of fatally shooting 10-year-old Aaron Vu and wounding his father, Hai Vu.
Surveillance footage from the attack showed Ragan and another suspect entering the nail salon with guns drawn, threatening customers and employees.
Authorities said the two stole $300 before Ragan allegedly opened fire, killing the young boy and injuring his father.
Hai Vu briefly took the stand Tuesday, providing testimony about the night his son was killed.
A separate trial for the murder of Aaron Vu and the attempted murder of Hai Vu has not yet been scheduled.
Prosecutors also called Kevin Burke, who was shot during a 2013 robbery, to testify against Ragan.
Burke told jurors he was riding his bike home when a car pulled up, and the occupants demanded money. When he refused and tried to flee, he was shot in the arm. He identified Ragan as the shooter.
Judge Tinkler-Mendez also allowed evidence from Ragan’s other alleged crimes to be introduced, saying it could help establish his identity in Perez’s murder.
