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Jurors Get Final Security Guard Murder Case

Jury deliberations began today in the trial of a reputed gang member accused in the robbery and beating death of a 66-year-old security guard.

Darius Lee, 21, faces the death penalty if convicted of first-degree murder and other charges stemming from the June 9, 2007, attack on Bower Security Co. guard Wallace Brown near Rosa Parks Road and El Dorado Boulevard.

The six-woman, six-man panel received the case late this morning following two days of closing arguments and a week of testimony.

Lee’s co-defendants Jerrett Lewis, 20, and Jamar Thomas, 21, were previously convicted of first-degree murder.

A jury rejected a death sentence for Thomas, who was sentenced last week to life in prison without parole. Lewis, who is awaiting sentencing, was a juvenile at the time of the crime and faces a no-parole prison term.

Murder and other charges were dismissed against a fourth defendant, Akil Williams, when a judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to hand the case over to a jury.

In his closing argumenty, Deputy District Attorney Manny Bustamante said the victim’s attackers were Gateway Posse Crips street gang members who snuck up on Brown’s van.

Lee acted as a lookout as Thomas and Lewis hurled rocks at the van, shattering the windows, before pulling the guard from the vehicle and beating him for his wallet and cell phone, Bustamante alleged.

The prosecutor said Lee is guilty of murder and robbery charges under the aiding and abetting theory.

Brown, a 66-year-old retired Marine, died at a hospital three days after being attacked, without regaining consciousness.

Lee’s attorney, John Patrick Dolan, said his client had no criminal history before he was arrested in this case.

“The evidence in this case about Darius Lee is there is no violence in his entire life history. That’s critical,” Dolan said.

The attorney also argued that the prosecution’s gang expert presented no evidence that Lee was a member of the Gateway Posse Crips, and that the prosecution did not present any forensic evidence that he was at the scene of the beating and robbery.

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