Motivational Speaker Jeffrey Locker Wanted To Die, Defense Attorney Dan Gotlin Claims
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A world-renowned forensic pathologist took the stand as the only defense witness in the trial of a man accused of murdering a motivational speaker in Harlem in 2009.
Defense attorney Dan Gotlin said his client, Kenneth Minor, was just a guy hanging out in the ghetto at 3 a.m. when Jeffrey Locker came driving in from the suburbs looking to "do a Kevorkian," WCBS 880's Irene Cornell reported.
WCBS 880's Irene Cornell with comments from the defense attorney
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Gotlin said his client described Locker as very persistent and very persuasive. Gotlin says Minor admitted he helped kill Locker with a knife because he felt sorry for him.
Gotlin said Locker was in deep debt and he schemed his way out by driving to Harlem, finding Minor and asking him to help him die, 1010 WINS' Juliet Papa reported.
1010 WINS Reporter Juliet Papa on the bizarre case of the motivational speaker's death
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"This is the most bizarre case that anybody in this whole courthouse has ever seen in the last 50 years, I'm sure. There's never been a case like it and probably never will be," said Gotlin.
Gotlin told the jury that if they find this was assisted suicide, they have to find Kenneth Minor not guilty of the top count of murder.
What do you think? Murder? Suicide? Mercy killing? Sound off in the comments section.
