Jury Deliberates in Phony Sexting Murder Case

By JANURIE ULETT & KATELYN HRUBY

The jury began deliberations on Tuesday in the Brooklyn murder trial of Ragene Powell and Jimmy Copeland, who allegedly lured a victim to his death by persuading the sister of one of the defendant and her friend to send him sexually explicit text messages inviting him to a sex party.

In June, 2010, Dwayne Burnett, the prosecution said, was enticed to Copeland’s Brownsville home through the pretense of a “threesome” when on arrival he was shot in the back and buttocks and killed.

The prosecution alleged that Copeland’s sister Crystal and her friend Ebony Geddie sent Burnett nude text messages under the direction of Powell and Copeland.

Powell, 29, is charged with coordinating the entire scheme, nike cortez allegedly paying Copeland $10000 to murder Burnett because he was angry that the victim allegedly made lewd remarks about Powell’s mother.

Defense lawyers argued in closing statements that the testimony of Copeland and Geddie showed inconsistencies and that the lack of Powell’s bank statements showing withdrawals weakened the case.

“Where there is no corroboration there can be no conviction,” said defense lawyer Ronald Nir.

The prosecution rebutted the argument, noting that inconsistencies were inevitable as the event occurred three years ago, adding that the young women agreed on the fundamentals of the case—mainly that the three men involved were Powell, Copeland and Burnett.

While the defense raised the possibility that Powell may not have been involved, the prosecution emphasized that Powell was the sole link between Copeland and Burnett, and thus the only way that Copeland and Geddie could have obtained Burnett’s phone number.

Photo: Ragene Powell

 

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