Lost in Lake Erie:
Scott Speer Murder Trial- •Oct. 31, 2007:
Scott Speer sentenced to four years in prison for death of friend on Lake Erie - •Oct. 24, 2007:
Jury finds man not guilty of murder, guilty of manslaughter - •Oct. 23, 2007:
Verdict reached in case of man accused of killing friend on Lake Erie - •Oct. 22, 2007:
Jury begins deliberations in case of man accused of pushing friend off boat - •Oct. 19, 2007:
Trial of man accused of pushing his friend into Lake Erie comes to a close - •Oct. 18, 2007:
Witness says Speer told him he pushed his friend off boat on Lake Erie - •Oct. 17, 2007:
Witness: Man's behavior was erratic during search for friend he claims fell overboard - •Oct. 15, 2007:
Trial opens for Ohio man accused of pushing his friend off a boat in Lake Erie
Witness describes discovery of body - Speer's demeanor after body washed ashore
- Defendant's 911 call
- Speer's statement to police
- Extended testimony and more video
- Civil Deposition
In this deposition in a wrongful death suit filed against Scott Speer, he describes what happened the day his friend went overboard. - Written Statement
This is the handwritten statement Scott Speer gave police one day after his friend James Barnett went overboard.
PORT CLINTON, Ohio — Jurors began deliberating Monday afternoon in the trial of an Ohio man who is accused of pushing his best friend overboard in Lake Erie in 2002.
After hearing closing arguments from both sides, the jury deliberated for two hours and 20 minutes Monday before going home for the day.
Scott Speer, 42, is accused of killing James Barnett, 39, near Mouse Island on Aug. 6, 2002. The two had been friends since they were teenagers, and Barnett worked for Speer at his plastics company. (MAP)
Speer is charged with murder, aggravated murder, aggravated vehicular homicide and involuntary manslaughter, although a judge said Friday that he had serious questions about whether there was enough evidence to support the aggravated murder charge.
The defense asked the judge to dismiss the aggravated murder and murder charges Monday, but for the second time during the trial, the motion was denied.
In her closing argument, Ottawa County Assistant District Attorney Lorrain Croy told the jury that Speer covered up the murder of his best friend the same way his father's business covers up tears in leather.
"They provide liquid leather to cover up the hole in the couch, just like the defendant has covered up what happened with multiple different versions of what happened," Croy said. "He's very experienced at covering things up."
Croy admitted that because of the lack of concrete evidence, it might seem that Speer had committed the perfect crime.
"There were no witnesses, no physical evidence of any bloody brawl or anything like that," she said. "Just a push off a boat, just some reckless operation and Jim is gone."
But she urged the jury to look at Speer's actions the night Barnett went overboard.
Croy questioned why Speer would tell the 911 operator he was near Johnson Island when he was really near Mouse Island, which is approximately 10 miles away.
"The defendant has been a boater since he was 14," she said. "Don't you know where Johnson Island is? He also leaves — he doesn't stay around. Is he really trying to throw people off about where to look?"
Speer also changed his story about what happened that night, first telling police that Barnett fell overboard and was grabbing a cleat before he went into the water, she said.
"There's no indications from the coroner about markings or evidence of his hand being injured," she said.
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