Closing arguments start Tuesday in trial of man accused of murdering police officer, two other men
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ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The jury will hear closing arguments Tuesday morning – and then it’s up to them to decide if Kelvin Vickers killed three people.
“Shots fired. Start more cars. Those would be the last words of Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz on July 21st, 2022.”
Those were the first words the jury hear in the trial weeks ago from Assistant District Attorney Perry Duckles. Not only is Vickers accused of killing Officer Mazurkiewicz, he’s also charged with murdering Ricky Collinge and Myjel Rand the day before.
Collinge’s mother was at the trial every day.
Berkeley Brean, News10NBC: “I saw you and I saw the defendant and I thought, ‘What must it be like to be sitting so close to somebody accused of…”
Kelvin Vickers listens in court during opening statements. (Provided photo: Democrat & Chronicle)
Lushone Siplin, Ricky Collinge’s mother: “I wanted to wring his neck. I want to jump. I want to scream. I want to yell.”
From the beginning, the jury was cautioned by Vickers’ lawyers not to let emotion affect their judgment.
“Again, you are the best qualified jurors because you told us absolutely that you will assess everyone evenly,” defense attorney Michael Geraci instructed.
Over the court of two-and-a-half weeks, the jury reviewed more than 1,000 pieces of evidence and heard from 80 witnesses. They saw surveillance video that tracked Vickers seconds before Mazurkiewicz was shot. Photos that showed the killer’s point of view. The crawl space where Vickers was found. The toilet where police found his red shoes.
And they heard testimony from Officer Sino Seng, who was working as Officer Mazurkiewicz’s partner that night and who survived his gunshot wounds.
Among their questions, jurors have to decide if Vickers murdered Officer Mazurkiewicz. And if they do, then they have to decide whether he knew he was police.
“At the end of this case, Ms. [Sandra] Doorley will come before you and ask you to return the only verdict supported by both the evidence and the law as it will be given to you: guilty,” Duckles said.
When he gives his closing argument Tuesday, Schiano is going to tell the jury that no one positively identified Vickers as the shooter in any murder and that Vickers didn’t know the men in the unmarked minivan were cops.
That’s crucial – if the jury finds him guilty of murdering police, that’s life without parole.
You can see our complete coverage of the trial here:
- DAY NINE: ‘Barrage of bullets’: Officer Sino Seng testifies about ambush that wounded him, killed partner
- DAY EIGHT: Officer Mazurkiewicz’s widow cries as jury watches video of moments before fatal ambush
- DAY SEVEN: Jury hears testimony on DNA evidence
- DAY SIX: Jury sees body camera footage of Vickers hiding in crawl space
- DAY FIVE: Tactical officers testify about night of Officer Mazurkiewicz’s death
- DAY FOUR: Prosecution wraps up case in murder of Ricky Collinge Jr. and MyJel Rand
- DAY THREE: Evidence technicians speak about recovering bullets in shooting of Collinge and Rand
- DAY TWO: Jury sees body-worn camera footage in shooting of Collinge and Rand
- DAY ONE: Opening statements; Victim’s family sits 10 feet from Vickers
