CLEARWATER, Fla. — We might soon have an answer to the question this murder trial was trying to decide: Was John Jonchuck insane when he dropped his daughter off a bridge, killing her?
After nearly three weeks, the murder trial of Jonchuck is in the hands of the jury.
Jonchuck is on trial in the murder of his 5-year-old daughter, Phoebe. In 2015, Jonchuck dropped Phoebe off the Dick Misener Bridge in St. Petersburg. Her body was found in the waters of Tampa Bay hours later.
Prosecutors have spent nearly three weeks presenting witnesses and evidence to support their claim that Jonchuck was sane when he dropped Phoebe off the bridge.
Jonchuck's defense team has spent the trial arguing that Jonchuck was insane that night in early January 2015.
During closing arguments, one of the attorneys for the prosecution relied on three key points: a police officer saw Jonchuck kill his daughter, Jonchuck was jealous of his mother and Phoebe's mother, and -- despite his apparent delusions -- Jonchuck did not jump off the bridge with his daughter.
An attorney for the defense made a final pitch after prosecutors saying, "He killed his daughter. It only makes sense that at that moment, he thought he was protecting his daughter. It doesn't make sense and it will never make sense because it's insanity."
One of Jonchuck's lawyers, Jessica Manuele, also brought out the massive Swedish Bible Jonchuck had with him leading up to Phoebe's murder. She reminded the jury that her client was convinced the Bible was making noises at him and that Phoebe was possessed.
A not guilty by reason of insanity verdict could mean the judge could send Jonchuck to a mental health facility or to an outpatient treatment center. If he's sent to a mental hospital, he'd spend the rest of his life there.
A first-degree murder conviction comes with a life sentence in prison.
Jury deliberations continue at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
What other people are reading right now:
- Fire breaks out at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris
- Maine Marine shot and killed by fellow Marine on South Carolina base
- Family mourning woman and her daughters killed in domestic violence shooting
- USF police lip-sync their way to national TV
- Florida man sprays woman with squirt gun full of his own urine, police say
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10News app now.
Have a news tip? Email desk@wtsp.com, or visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
