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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – When the jury received the Kenan Gay murder case and began deliberating Wednesday afternoon, jury foreman Larry Williams tells WCCB, “The first thing we did was have a moment of silence to clear our hearts and minds and say a prayer for both families.” The jurors tell WCCB the possibility of second degree murder was only discussed for a very short time, about 30 minutes of the roughly nine-hour deliberation process.
The jury held secret votes throughout deliberations. On day one, nine were undecided, one was for involuntary manslaughter and two were for not guilty. On day two, nine were for not guilty and three were for involuntary manslaughter. Friday, the third and final day, all 12 jurors agreed there wasn’t enough proof to convict Kenan Gay of any crime.
Williams says, “This case was determined in the three seconds outside the bar.” And, “We don’t know where the final push took place. No one will ever know.”
He wants the public to understand: “We took this very seriously. It was very hard. We made the right decision. ” Juror Rhonda Gilbert says, “No one had to be convinced, they just needed time.” She has “no regrets” about the verdict and says, “There is no winning. We did the best we could based upon the law that was presented to us.”
Juror Bill Jackson says the decision was based on interpreting statute language and evidence. He says, “I feel that, that young man [Gay] has more character and more integrity than most people I have met for his age.”
The three jurors who spoke with WCCB praised both the defense attorneys and the state attorneys, saying both sides were well prepared, professional and honorable.
