SAN ANTONIO – A jury deliberating murder charges in a 2015 Christmas Day shooting was told by a judge that it has the option of considering the defense’s argument that the defendant acted to save a third party.
The shooting ended the life of Trayvouns Edwards and, according to the daughter of William Porter, 44, who is on trial in Edwards' death, it ended four days of terror for her.
The daughter said Edwards, 23, held her captive, beat her and forced her to do drugs.
“If I would have tried to run — it’s the middle of the night, you know, and we’re in an alley,” she testified Wednesday, “it would have been worse.”
Her ordeal ended when Porter confronted Edwards, who was with Porter's daughter at a Goliad Road gas station, and fatally shot him. The shooting was captured by security cameras at the gas station and played for the jury earlier this week.
When the judge gave instructions to jurors prior to deliberations Thursday, they were told “defense of a third party” is something they could consider.
Porter contends he had to shoot Edwards in order to free his daughter that night. Prosecutors, however, maintain it was clearly a case of murder, calling it an assassination.
The jury has been deliberating in this case since 3:20 p.m. Thursday. They will continue deliberating Friday morning.
