William Morva sentencing: Defense rests, Morva’s mother does not testify

WSLS News Staff
Published: March 12, 2008

Updated 5:20 p.m.

New video added

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Updated 3:51 p.m.

The judge has decided that the jury will reconvene tomorrow to decide Morva’s fate.

Defense lawyers called a total of 13 witnesses.

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Updated 3:31 p.m.

The defense has rested.  William Morva’s mother did not take the stand.

We’ll have updates from the courthouse tonight on WSLS at 5:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 6:00 p.m.

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Life in prison or death?  That’s the question jurors are expected to answer today, as day two of sentencing begins for William Morva.

His defense team has called six witnesses as of 11:45 a.m.  They include one of Morva’s old high school teachers, four of his old friends, and a guidance counselor who signed Morva’s dropout papers.  She was visibly tearing up as she talked.

One of Morva’s friends, Anna Burkhart told the court she’s visited Morva in jail three times, and he wrote her 40 letters from behind bars.  Burkhart says Morva was always a good friend to her.  She described him as very sweet, open, and intelligent.

Another of Morva’s friends, Maria Rott, said Morva was against guns.  Rott described Morva as peaceful, and always a very caring person.  She also said Morva would stick up for his friends, but never in a violent way.

Morva could be seen smiling at times during his friends’ testimony.

The defense is expected to call close to a dozen witnesses in all today, including Morva’s mother.

We’ll have updates from the courthouse tonight on WSLS at 5:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 6:00 p.m.