Jury deliberations began Monday in the trial of a South Florida woman charged with killing her husband's business partner.
Janepsy Carballo, 37, is on trial for first-degree murder in the 2008 killing of Ilam Nissim.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys gave final arguments Monday morning before the case was handed over to the jury.
“Well, I might be whispering; I’m telling you that the evidence, the evidence against this defendant is screaming,” said prosecutor Abbe Rifkin.
Carballo claims self-defense, saying Nissim had murdered her husband a month before and was coming for her when she shot him six times.
“When he was trying to hurt her, when she was backing up to the drawer; she knew she had the defensive weapon to shoot him with, to stop him, as he’s reaching out to her, as he’s trying to grab her,” said defense attorney Nathan Diamond.
During closings, Carballo's attorney said she was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder at the time of the shooting, saying she was scared of Nissim.
Husband Orlando Mesa and the couple's son were shot outside their home on April 20, 2008. Mesa was killed and the young boy was injured but survived. Mesa's murder was never solved.
Prosecutors argue Carballo was out to avenge her husband's death, saying she lured Nissim to her home the night she fatally shot him. During closings, prosecutors argued that there was no evidence Nissim attacked Carballo
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“Revenge is first-degree murder, no matter which way you slice it, no matter which way you dice it, revenge is first-degree murder,” Rifkin said.
Carballo could face up to life in prison if convicted.
