An emotional scene between a man charged in a 2011 carjacking-turned-deadly at a Miami Gardens gas station and his mother was played again in court Thursday, as prosecutors made the case that Eric Ellington revealed his involvement in the crime during that interrogation.
Ellingon is standing trial this week to face charges in the July 25, 2011 deaths of Julian Soler and Kennia Duran. Duran, 24, and Soler, 23, had stopped for gas at the Mobil Mart at Northwest 57th Avenue and 167th Street when they were approached by Ellington, Wayne Williams and Dylan McFarlane, police said. Surveillance video captured the crime and showed a suspect, who police say is Ellington, drag Soler out of his Ford Mustang Cobra and shoot the man at point-blank range 11 times.
The jury saw that shooting video once again Thursday, as well as testimony about a four hour interrogation in which prosecutors say Ellington slowly revealed his involvement in the shooting as his mother sat by his side. The tape is at times hard to hear. One detective relayed what he said was Ellington's response after the suspect's mother urged him to tell the truth.
"Mr. Ellington says if he tells the truth he would be in for the rest of his life," said Det. Joseph Zellner told the court.
While the state is emphasizing the surveillance video of the double homicide, the defense says that Ellington was not at the scene of the crime and the video is too grainy for a positive identification. Ellington had been with the other suspects in the stolen vehicle but went home, and when police nabbed him he was intimidated by them and wanted to protect his friends, according to the defense.
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Closing arguments are expected to take place Friday, with jury deliberations beginning early next week.
