Denver jury will continue deliberations Thursday morning in the case of Michael Close

A Denver jury will continue deliberations Thursday morning in the case Michael Close, the man charged with 22 counts for the shooting death of Isabella Thallas, and the injuries her boyfriend, Darian Simon sustained.

Thallas was killed in June of 2020 while walking her dog in Denver's Ballpark neighborhood while Simon was critically injured.

"We're running on empty. No sleep, no appetite. No energy. We're running on pieces of a broken heart," said Ana Thallas, Isabella's mother, on Wednesday.

It's been more than two years since her daughter was killed. Wednesday, jurors began deliberating over one main point- was Michael Close insane at the time of the shooting?

It was a packed courtroom Wednesday with standing room only as attorneys presented closing arguments.

Close's defense team argues that he was insane and could not form the culpable mental state to intentionally commit the act.

An insanity defense would allow Close to face a lesser sentence. Something Isabella's family made clear they are opposed to. During the defense team's closing arguments Wednesday, Ana Thallas walked out.

"I wouldn't give my time or day to the defense, so I walked out of the courtroom. I'm not going to listen to that- period. So my full hope, trust and faith is in Joe Morales and McKenna Burke and the work that they have been putting into the case for Isabella and for Darian," said Ana Thallas.

While a court-appointed doctor said without a doubt that Close did not have a mental defect or disease that prevented him from forming a culpable mental state, a jury is not obligated to consider that opinion.

Prosecutors pointed out that while the doctor did suggest Close suffered from depressive disorder, personality disorder and suicidal ideations, they asked jurors to consider him guilty because those defects do not rise to the level of legal insanity.

Deliberations will resume Thursday morning.