Closing arguments expected Thursday in trial of man accused of killing star athlete in Sarasota
SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) —The trial for the man suspected of killing an 18-year-old star athlete is coming to its end.
Nyquan Priester was accused of firing multiple shots into a crowd of people at a Sarasota park in December 2021, killing Dylan Jenkins.
Jenkins was a standout football player at Riverview High School, and had been recruited to play for Madonna University in Detroit. He was home from college during Christmas break when he was killed.
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Jenkins’ family had another emotional day in court Wednesday as the medical examiner spoke before the jury as the final witness for the prosecution.
Once the state rested its case, the defense brought three witnesses to the stand. Two of the witnesses were at Ackerman Park the night of the shooting, but neither saw who fired the shots that fatally wounded Jenkins.
One witness said he [the witness] had “beef” with Kalvion Turner, who was in the car with Priester the night of the shooting. Turner was initially charged with principal to second-degree murder, but took a plea deal. That witness, Zephrain Williams told the jury he saw Turner patting a fanny pack strapped across his chest when the two made eye contact that night.
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“I thought it was probably a gun inside or something inside of it,” said Williams. “I kind of like positioned myself in a way to where I could still talk to my friends, but see him at the same time. I didn’t have my back turned to him no more once I saw that.”
Williams said he didn’t know if he could have been the target of the shooting, as the two hadn’t talked since September of that year.
During testimony Tuesday, Turner admitted he brought the gun to the park and felt anxiety and guilt once he learned someone had been shot, but said Priester was the one who fired the shots into the crowd and claimed he was “showboating” about it after the fact. He mentioned during his testimony that Priester took a bleach bath after the shooting and told him to take one as well.
“I didn’t take one,” Turner said during testimony.
“Why not?” the assistant state attorney asked.
“I didn’t need to,” he responded.
“Why not?” she asked again.
“I didn’t shoot the gun,” said Turner.
At one point Wednesday, Priester considered taking the stand, but ultimately decided not to testify before the jury.
The trial will continue Thursday morning with jury instructions and closing arguments.
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