Jury Deliberating in Moo Moo Murder Trial

http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Jury-deliberating-in-Moo-Moo-murder-trial-8380442.php

BRIDGEPORT -No verdict yet in the Trumbull Gardens shooting spree case.

A jury of five men and seven women deliberated for most of the day Friday without reaching a decision on the guilt or innocence of Jamal “Moo Moo” Hamilton, accused of last years’ shooting spree that killed one man and wounded eight other people in the North End housing project.

During it’s deliberations the jury asked to hear the tape recorded testimony of the eyewitness in the case.

 A large contingent of Hamilton’s family and supporters have been ordered to remain in the lobby of the Fairfield County Courthouse away from the third-floor courtroom until a verdict is announced.

Hamilton, 24, who has been linked to a gang operating out of the Greene Homes housing project, is charged with murder and eight counts of first-degree assault for the June 11, 2015 shooting spree in the Trumbull Gardens housing project.

Savonie “Vahnnie” McNeil, 37, of Shelton, was found lying on his back between two parked cars with a gunshot wound to the head.

Seven other people were found in the parking lot with both serious and minor gunshot wounds. A grandmother, taking a shower in her nearby home, was hit by a bullet in the leg.

Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Michael DeJoseph’s case against Hamilton centers on the testimony of two witnesses, a young woman who said she saw Hamilton running from the shooting scene firing shots as he ran and Kevan Bennett, who testified he was Hamilton’s getaway driver.

Bennett testified Hamilton told him he did the shooting because one of the victims, who he didn’t name, was responsible for previously shooting a friend of Hamilton.

McNeil, an innocent victim, had actually been responsible for helping people who lived in the project by giving them jobs at his construction company. In fact, Bennett testified McNeil had given him a job.

Hamilton did not testify. His lawyer, Michael Riley, argued before the jury that the state’s two key witnesses were not credible.

He pointed out that no bullet shell casings were found where the female witness claimed Hamilton was shooting from. And he claimed Bennett was the actual shooter, pointing out that Bennett had previously shot a local man with the same gun used in the Trumbull Gardens shooting spree.