KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The murder trial against Todd Maneke is nearing its end. The jury heard closing arguments Wednesday from both the defense and prosecution. Now, Maneke’s fate is in their hands.
Maneke has been charged with murder in the death of his 88-year-old neighbor Alfred Minka. The prosecution said that on August 23, 2013 Maneke asked Minka for money to feed his drug habit at that time. Once Minka refused and told him to leave, Maneke allegedly hit him with a hammer 11 times. The beating was so severe it fractured parts of his skull. Maneke was arrested in August 2016, three years after the incident. Since then, the prosecution has maintained that drugs was the motivation behind Maneke's actions.
“The defendant himself told the police that when he stole $545 from PNC Bank on August 24, 2013 that he used all of it that day to go buy cocaine that he used that day,” said assistant prosecuting attorney Steven McLaughlin to the jury. “There was no rationing it off so that he could have some for the next day. Just like the detective told you. He got the money, he spent the money, he used the drugs.”
Maneke's defense attorney Michael Hills delivered his closing argument after the prosecution. He said that Maneke 'is no saint' but he's also not a murderer. There's no actual evidence linking him to the crime.
"He struck him once. He struck him twice. He did this and he did that. The problem with all of that is it's based on assumption upon assumption upon assumption," said Hills to the jury. "You’re going to find yourself, I think, in deliberations doing this, I did it, 'What if this? What if that?' Ok, well it’s not based on facts."
The jury deliberated for much of the afternoon and was released at the end of the day. Deliberations will resume Thursday at 9 a.m.
