Jury gets Parker case this afternoon

LaFAYETTE, Ga. —  Jurors in the Sam Parker murder trial will begin deliberating this afternoon in Walker County Superior Court.

Lawyers gave their closing arguments this morning and Judge Jon “Bo” Wood is to charge the jury right after lunch.

Mr. Parker, a former LaFayette police officer, is charged with killing his wife, Theresa Parker, in March, 2007. Her body has never been found and Mr. Parker pleaded not guilty.

Mr. Parker’s public defender, David Dunn, spoke to the jury first and told them that the prosecution presented no evidence to prove Mr. Parker killed his wife. He said that from the beginning, prosecutors have forced Mr. Parker to prove his innocence, instead of assuming he is innocent.

Mr. Dunn also outlined other scenarios about what could have happened to the Walker County 911 operator. He said former Walker Sheriff’s Deputy Shane Green could have murdered her. Mr. Parker thought his wife was having an affair with Mr. Green, although the deputy denied any involvement with Mrs. Parker.

Mr. Dunn said evidence against Mr. Green in Mrs. Parker’s disappearance is just as strong as the evidence against Mr. Parker.

He told the jury it is their duty to find his client not guilty on all four felony charges — murder, computer invasion of privacy, obstructing justice and violation of his oath as a law officer.

District Attorney Leigh Patterson hammered home the timeline and theory implicating Mr. Parker that she worked for nearly two weeks to build in the jury’s mind.

She asked jurors to use common sense when thinking about what happened to Mrs. Parker. She reminded them of numerous incidents of alleged misconduct and abuse by Mr. Parker that witnesses testified to in the past two weeks.

She said Mr. Parker was an alcoholic who was obsessed about his wives and convinced Mrs. Parker was cheating. She said when he understood she was going to move out and get a divorce, he killed her.

Nearly 100 people packed in the courtroom to hear closing arguments.