Summary

In Chapter 16, as Truitt began giving his closing arguments, Wilbanks could only hope that a few jurors would hold out for life in prison instead of the death sentence. Truitt reminded the jury that Pete’s acts as a war hero did not give him the right to murder Dexter. He asked them to think about Dexter’s family without a husband and father. He pointed out that Pete’s act of transferring his land to his children indicated Pete had planned the murder.

In his closing arguments, Wilbanks simply tried to convince the jury that there would be no benefit in sentencing Pete to death. He pointed out that if it was wrong to kill, the state should not be allowed to kill either. He asked them to consider Pete’s children and not punish them.

In an initial vote, all...