Jake Allen
@Jake_Allen19
·
9m
The defense starts her opening statement. What you heard is what they hope the evidence will show, Fitzgeorge said.
Hunter took about an hour for his opening statement.
The evidence will show Wright and Mark Sievers had quite "the bizarre relationship," Fitzgeorge said.
Rodgers' defense attorney Assistant public defender Kathleen Fitzgeorge is presenting the defense opening statement.
"The evidence will show the police spent a great deal of time, time and effort, collecting physical evidence and testimony from witnesses," Fitzgeorge said.
Fitzgeorge is talking about the effort the Lee County Sheriff's Office put into collecting evidence.
"Listen to all the evidence," Fitzgeorge tells the jurors. Says after the police collected the evidence they found themselves "in a bind." They had no leads in the case and it was a high profile killing, Fitzgeorge said.
"The state will spend a lot of time effort showing you how Mr. Rodgers and Mr. Wright drove to Florida," Fitzgeorge said.
Fitzgeorge said Wright and Rodgers went on a last minute trip to Florida.
Wright did not take personal phone on the trip. "A burner phone sort of implies you are up to no good," Fitzgeorge said. Rodgers did not have a burner phone. He took his normal phone on the trip.
Rodgers is very tech-savy and would have know how traceable his phone was, Fitzgeorge said. When they got here they went to the beach and Wal Mart, she said. Rodgers was not trying to conceal his being in Florida, Fitzgeorge said.
Sometimes the people at Rodgers' work brought home their suites. Sometimes Rodgers would bring his home to be washed without realizing he was not supposed to do that, Fitzgeorge said.
"I ask you to pay close attention to what that evidence shows matches up," Fitzgeorge said.
