Jury deliberations were set to resume Friday in the trial of the man charged with shooting Sean Taylor during a 2007 home invasion at the NFL star's Miami-area home.
Eric Rivera Jr., 23, is charged with first-degree murder and burglary in the shooting of Taylor. Rivera, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, is facing life in prison if convicted.
Closing arguments concluded Wednesday afternoon, with the jury deliberations beginning before going home for the night. Jurors resumed deliberations around 9:30 a.m. and asked a question about how to define when Rivera would be considered a principal actor in the overall crime.
If Rivera is considereda principal, he can be convicted whether or not jurors find he fired the fatal shot.
Prosecutors say Taylor was shot by Rivera, who traveled with four other men from Fort Myers to burglarize Taylor's Palmetto Bay home. The group didn't believe Taylor would be home.
Taylor, who was at home nursing an injury, confronted the men with a machete and was shot. He died the next day from his injuries.
One of the suspects, Venjah Hunte, has already pleaded guilty to his role in the crime. The others will head to trial later.
Rivera, who took the stand in his own defense earlier this week, claimed Hunte was the trigger man, and said he stayed in the car during the deadly burglary. He also said his confession to police after his arrest was coerced.
Jury deliberations will continue starting at 9:30 a.m. Friday.
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