LA CROSSE, Wis (WEAU) - Reporter Alyssa Fenske says the jury in the Eric Koula trial has been released Tuesday night, and will return Wednesday morning to continue deliberations.
The jury arrived around 8:45 a.m. Tuesday after the trial was handed over to them around 4 p.m. Monday afternoon. They deliberated until 8 p.m., but were not able to reach a verdict.
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LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) -- Jurors in La Crosse County resume deliberations Tuesday in the case of a man accused of killing his parents.
Prosecutors tried to prove, through a circumstantial case, that Eric Koula fatally shot his parents for money. The defense argued Dennis and Merna Koula were victims of a professional killer. Defense attorney Jim Korby says there's no forensic evidence linking Koula to the crime, no fingerprints, no DNA, no murder weapon.
District Attorney Tim Gruenke accuses Koula of planting evidence to mislead investigators.
The 68-year-old father and 65-year-old mother died instantly of gunshot wounds to the head May 21.
Jurors deliberated about five hours Monday.
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(WEAU)- A double murder trial is now in the hands of a jury.
A decision whether Eric Koula is guilty or not could be made within hours, as the closing arguments were finished.
The state called him a lying murderer.
“His lies confirm we know he’s guilty and he knows he’s guilty,” said D.A. Tim Gruneke.
The defense started out its closing statement accusing the state of not finding the truth about what happened, when it happened, and why Dennis and Merna Koula were killed.
“For 2 years I’ve been waiting for Mr. Gruenke to answer these questions,” said Koula’s attorney Jim Koby.
Gruneke said he thought it had been made very clear.
“What happened? Koula murdered his parents. When it happened? I thought I made that very clear at 4:51PM when Merna stuck the last key on the computer. Why did it happen? Because the defendant was desperate and he did need money,” said Gruneke.
The defense accused the state of trying to make Eric Koula into a criminal mastermind, committing the perfect crime.
But Gruneke said he never thought Koula was a mastermind.
“If it was a perfect murder he wouldn’t have gotten caught,” said Gruenke.
But in the end both asked the jury to take care in its deliberation.
“I’m not asking to convict an innocent man just to find justice for Dennis and Merna Koula,” said Gruenke.
“Do not use the sword of justice to convict an innocent.”
It is now up to the 12 jurors to unanimously decide Koula’s fate.
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(WEAU) - Closing arguments wrapped up in the double murder trial of a La Crosse County man accused of shooting both his parents.
The 12 person jury must now agree on a verdict.
From day one, prosecutors say 42-year old Eric Koula killed his parents Dennis and Merna Koula in their La Crosse County home in May 2010 for inheritance.
By day two he admitted forging a $50,000 check the weekend his parents were murdered.
Then by day thirteen a defense forensic expert said no evidence tied Koula to the murder.
But, day fourteen the defense argued that evidence presented could reflect the possibility of a professional murder.
Now a jury will decide Koula's fate.
WEAU 13 News has a reporter on the story and will bring you the latest as soon as it happens on weau.com and at 5, 6 and 10.