Columbia, SC (WLTX) -- Jurors in the double murder trial of Brett Parker Fridayheard from forensic experts and a friend of one of thevictims.
Parker is accused of killing his wife, Tammy Parker, and hisbusiness partner, Bryant Capnerhurst, at the Parkers' Irmo home back in April of 2012.
Testimony resumed after ending abruptly Thursdaywhen Brett Parker had to be taken from the courtroom to a hospital where he received medical treatment. According to his family he suffered a panic attack and had numbness in his arms.
Prosecutors say he killed his wife and Capnerhurst in an act of premeditation. Parker has maintained that he shot Capnerhurst in self-defense after Capnerhurst shot his wife. His attorneys also are arguing Capnerhurst was there to rob the defendant.
During Friday's proceedings, Chief Medical Examiner Bradley Marcus retook the stand. His testimony included in-depth descriptions of howCapnerhurst was killed. Bradley saidCapnerhurst was shot with a .410-caliber Taurus Judge gun, shooting discs, pellets and BB's into Capnerhurst's body.
"They looked almost like shotgun rounds," said Marcus.
Marcus was aided by x-rays in his testimony on Friday. Details from his medical examination of Capnerhurst include:
- Extensive frontal skull fracturing. Marcus described his left orbital bone as being "depressed," or sunken into his skull as a result of being shot with the weapon
- The gunshot to his head caused fragments to lodge in both sides of his brain. He was shot while he lay on the ground, striking him in the left skull.
- Fragments that went into his chest cavity went through his left-rib and lung, and others went into hisaorta. His right chest cavity filled with blood. No shot striking Capnerhurst was fired at a distance greater than five feet.
- Capnerhurst suffered a gunshot wound to his left foot. It entered the bottom of his foot and exited through the top. Marcus said this leads him to believe Capnerhurst fell after the first shot struck him. Marcus recovered fragments from his left leg as well. "At one point his foot was up in the air," Marcus said.
- On examination of Capnerhurst left arm, multiple BB shots were recovered in his left forearm, and his arm was broken. "Based on the way he fell back," Marcus said in his testimony, "he could not have held on to anything."
He died within two to three minutes, according to Marcus.
Also testifying was James Morgan, a North Carolina man who said Capnerhurst was his best friend.
According to Morgan, Capnerhurst called him three times the day of the killings. He told him how excited he was because he believed he was finally going to collect the full amount of a $21,000 debt. At one point, Morgan said Brett Parkertold Capnerhurst to bring a duffle bag.
Capnerhurst was expected to call Morgan later that day. When he didn't, he received a call from a friend to tell him why Capnerhurst had not called.
"I was standing up, that was my mistake," Morgan said.
The day ended with a firearms and ballistics expert with the Richland County Sheriff's Department testifying. That testimony was largely based on chemical examinations of materials. Much of itcorroboratedestablished testimony.
Court will resume Monday morning.
