DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A DeKalb County jury is deliberating the fate of a former health department worker accused of murdering an engineer.
Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes was at the DeKalb County courthouse, where the victim’s family says they’re hoping for a guilty verdict, but no matter what happens, they’ll begin their healing journey with the trial coming to an end.
Fernandes has remained in contact with the family in the year since the shooting nearly a year ago.
“It’s broken us,” the family of Cole Pitter told Channel 2 Action News.
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Pitter’s family told Fernandes it was extremely difficult to sit in the same courtroom as the man accused of killing their loved one.
Defendant Keenan Williams’ attorney gave the jury several reasons why he should be allowed to walk free.
“There’s been no evidence of DNA in this case, there’s been no evidence from the crime scene that places my client at the location,” Williams’ attorney said. “There was no evidence of ballistics that links my client at all.”
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But the reason Williams was named as the suspect in Pitter’s murder is because one month before the shooting, police recovered surveillance video that they say shows Williams breaking into the home of his child’s mother, who was Pitter’s girlfriend at the time.
The prosecutors told the jury that Williams did everything to cover his steps, like use his stepfather’s car on the night of the murder that Flock Safety cameras pinged.
The state said Williams mysteriously turned off his phone for a couple of hours at the time of the shooting.
“Day one, he came in there smiling, he felt, he looked cocky,” Pitter’s sister Cinnamone said. “He felt like he had it, like he was gonna get off and that was it.”
Earl Pitter, the victim’s father, told Channel 2 Action News the process has been difficult.
“It was hard to close this, but with what I’m expecting this afternoon or whenever the jury comes back, I can personally close this chapter,” Earl Pitter said.
One of the hardest parts of the day for everyone in the courtroom was hearing the 16 shots fired at Cole Pitter. Nine of those shots hit him.
Pitter’s family said they are leaning on their faith, so they feel forgiveness rather than the spirit of revenge.
Channel 2 Action News will let you know as soon as the jury reaches a verdict.
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