Closing Arguments Next In Christina Morris Kidnapping Trial
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MCKINNEY (CBSDFW.COM) - After nearly two weeks of testimony, a jury will soon decide if Enrique Arochi is the person who kidnapped Christina Morris from a Plano parking garage more than two years ago. Closing arguments in this high-profile trial began during the lunch hour.
The final witness to testify for the defense this morning was Robert Aguero, an expert in cell phone data transmission. He talked about cell phone towers and data related to Arochi and Morris' phones the night of Christina's disappearance.
The defense attempted to prove that the mapped locations of those cell phones wasn't reliable. When prosecutors objected to the claim the judge sent the jury out for a while, so he could get an explanation of how the technology works. During cross-examination prosecutors argued Aguero was only testifying to help the defense.
Arochi's attorneys spent hours on Monday cross-examining detectives from the Plano Police Department, trying to show that not all investigators agreed about what happened to Morris on the night that she disappeared.
Arochi was the last person seen with Morris before she vanished. The two had been former high school classmates. Cameras at The Shops at Legacy in Plano caught Arochi and Morris walking together inside of the shopping center's parking garage. After detectives found matching DNA samples in the trunk of Arochi's car, he was arrested for aggravated kidnapping.
The suspect has denied having anything to do with the case. The location of the victim's body is still a mystery, and Det. Robyn Busby with the Plano Police Department told the jury on Monday that the 23-year-old woman's remains will most likely never be found.
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Busby was the top detective on the Morris case more than two years ago. Her theory is that Morris got into Arochi's car, but he had lied to her about where they were going. That turned the car ride into a kidnapping and, at one point, Morris attempted to defend herself from the suspect.
Police have said bite marks on Arochi's arm showed that Morris fought back as she was kidnapped. But a forensic dentist who often testifies for the prosecution took the witness stand for the defense on Monday afternoon, stating that the marks on Arochi's arm were actually not consistent with human bite marks.
Closing arguments are expected to begin sometime later today and it will be handed to the jury afterward. The judge advised jury members to pack overnight bags, as they will most likely be sequestered through Tuesday evening until a verdict is reached.