BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The final days of the Matthew Queen trial have begun as closing arguments began Monday morning in court. We’re getting closer and closer to the conclusion of the Matthew Queen trial, as closing arguments began Monday.
Prosecutor Eric Smith and defense attorney Timothy Hennessy presented their arguments on why Queen should or should not be found guilty. Both referring back to text and social media messages and the remains discovered by the Kern River.
“This is the last known cell tower kit for Micah Holsonbake. It's about 1:27 a.m. of March 22, 2018,” said Smith, analyzing Micah Holsonbake’s last known whereabouts and Queens' texts, social media messages, and recorded calls. “Here is a Facebook message to Sarah Hodges.”
Smith says Queen anticipated blaming someone else for the murder of Holsonbake.
"This is January 12, 2019. Whose the name of that bookie boyfriend of yours that was looking for Micah until Micah choked you out and you solicited a hitman from Caleb. I bet the two of you could clear all of this up. Again, putting people into it when he knows well that he was the one that killed Micah Holsonbake.”
Smith then moved on to analyzing the damage to the skull that was later determined to be Holsonbake. Defense attorney Timothy Hennessy argued the crime scene was not secure.
“The crime scene is not secure. Nobody could tell you how the stuff got on the ground.”
And that Bailee Despot is responsible for Micah Holsonbake’s murder, not Queen.
“We know that Bailee and Micah would get into it,” said Hennessy. “You can hate me for standing up for him that’s fine. But you cannot convict him for killing Micah Holsonbake.
Hennessy says while Queen hasn’t been a saint, social media has affected the public’s perception of Queen.
“Then on social media. Then we’ve got the specials. Then there is Dr. Phil. You see that's why it solidifies that you’ve got evil on your hands when you’ve really just got a guy whose done some bad stuff. Not torture and kill like some Dateline special. It's important how you perceive him.”
When Hennessy was finished with his argument Smith returned to the front of the jury and asked: "I ask you to find Matthew Queen guilty of all the charges, that includes, kidnapping, assault, assault weapons, manufacturing, felony possession. I also ask you to find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Queen is charged with 35 counts, including first-degree murder, torture, and kidnapping of Micah Holsonbake. The judge says in order to reach a verdict, all jurors will need to agree.
Deliberations will begin Tuesday.
