The jury in the trial against the Hendersonville father accused of reckless homicide in the shooting death of his 11-year-old daughter hear closing arguments and began deliberating during day three of the trial.
During the third day of the trial, Timothy Batts took the stand and described to jurors the moments leading up to his daughter, Timea, being shot.
Batts said he thought someone broke into his Hendersonville home prior to the shooting and thought she was an intruder.
Batts said he didn't think it was Timea because he didn't expect her to arrive around that time. He said the gun in question was left at his home by his cousin who had too much to drink.
"It hurts me to see she was hurt,” Batts said describing the moment she was shot.
"I really felt like I wanted to kill myself and be gone, Timea was gone." @NC5 pic.twitter.com/pmCYymFSLp
— Matthew Torres (@NC5_MTorres) July 19, 2017
Around 3 p.m. Wednesday, the jury began deliberating in the case.
Batts pleaded not guilty to charges of reckless homicide, tampering with evidence and felon in possession of a firearm. He was also charged with filing a false report but Judge Dee David Gay threw out that charge on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, jurors saw home surveillance video from inside the home.
Just minutes before, the surveillance footage revealed Batts walking around with what appears to be a phone and a gun. When police questioned him, he told detectives Timea had startled him while he was taking a nap.
“I get scared, I was creeping around the corner, my daughter jumped out 'Aaaah' it all happened so quick,” he told police.
During that interview, Batts told Harris he didn't tell the truth to the officers at the hospital initially because he feared he wouldn't be allowed to see Timea.
The jury began deliberations around 3 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. Around 6 p.m., they ended deliberations for the night, saying they wanted to sleep on it.
Deliberations were set to resume Thursday morning at 9 a.m.
Previous Stories:
11-Year-Old Shot, Killed In Hendersonville
Father Charged In Fatal Shooting Of 11-Year-Old
Timothy Batts Fails Drug Test On Probation
Timothy Batts Trial Begins; Officer Takes The Stand
Jurors See Surveillance Video In Timothy Batts Trial
