The jury had the case for about two hours after closing arguments and instructions before announcing it reached a verdict.
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“It’s gratifying, but it’s bittersweet,” Montgomery County assistant prosecutor John Amos said while speaking for the family, which declined comment.
Chuckie Lee found guilty by jury of murder and all other counts and firearm specificiatons in the death of 20-year-old Taylor Brandenburg and for firing at other members of Brandenburg's family in March 2017. Two co-defendants pleaded guilty and are serving life sentences. pic.twitter.com/QYEZ4glJL3
— Mark Gokavi (@MarkGokaviWHIO) August 17, 2018
The jury in the Chuckie Lee murder trial got this case at 11:30 — after that, they had to go through some procedural stuff like choosing a foreman and took lunch — and they had a verdict by 1:20. @whiotv
— John Bedell (@JBedellWHIO) August 17, 2018
Lee represented himself in the case, and he became emotional when testifying on his own behalf on Thursday.
— Mark Gokavi (@MarkGokaviWHIO) August 17, 2018
UPDATE @ 1:22 p.m. (Aug. 17):A verdict has been reached in the murder trial for Chuckie Lee, who is accused of killing Taylor Brandenburg.
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UPDATE @ 11:32 a.m. (Aug. 17):
The jury in the Chuckie Lee trial is now deliberating. The jury received instructions following closing arguments this morning.
UPDATE @ 10:14 a.m. (Aug. 17):
Closing arguments are underway this morning in the trial of Chuckie Lee, who is accused of killing Taylor Brandenburg.
INITIAL REPORT:
The accused killer of Taylor Brandenburg tearfully testified Thursday that he sold drugs, saw someone who hadn’t paid an associate’s drug debt and felt threatened at The Glass Hat bar before acquiring guns and firing at the man he felt provoked him.
Chuckie Lee, 40, who is representing himself in his Montgomery County Common Pleas Court murder trial, took the stand and explained the events of March 11 and March 12, 2017 that led to the death of Brandenburg, 20, outside a home on Huffman Avenue.
Lee described throwing the first punch at Ricky Mayes Jr. — Brandenburg’s first cousin — who he said hiked his pants and said it was his bar, swore and called him the N-word.
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Lee also said he went along with co-defendants Evans Cassell’s plan to get the guns, Kara Parisi-King’s idea to go to the Huffman house and fire bullets from a 50-shot drum on a Glock pistol.
“I wanted to hurt him bad,” Lee said of Mayes, who testified earlier Thursday. “I wanted to do something to him.”
When asked on cross examination if he could have just gone home after the bar fight, Lee said, “At that moment, I was not thinking. I was not really talking. I was angry.”
Lee said he didn’t even see Brandenburg when he and Cassell shot a combined 37 times.
“I do remember going to that corner,” Lee said. “When I looked up I seen Ricky. I didn’t see anybody else. I shot. We both shot. We continued to shoot.”
Asked by a prosecutor on cross examination, Lee said, “I definitely feel responsibility. I definitely got regret.”
Closing arguments in the case are expected Friday morning.
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