The jury in the Jacques Robidoux murder trial received instructions from the judge Thursday morning and should begin deliberating in the afternoon. NewsCenter 5's Rhondella Richardson said that the panel will decide if the Attleboro, Mass., cult leader is responsible for starving his 1-year-old son, Samuel, to death. They can acquit Robidoux or find him guilty of first or second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter or assault and battery.
The last defense witness took the stand and testified that a disease could have caused the child's death. New York pathologist Dr. Jeffrey Hubbard said that is he had done the autopsy on the child, he would have certified the cause of death as unknown.
Then lawyers began their closing arguments.
"If you have reasonable doubt as to the cause of Samuel's death, then your obligation, on those three most serious charges, you must return verdicts of not guilty on those charges," Robidoux's attorney, Francis O'Boy, said.
"Because of him, because of his intentional act, his son was dying and he didn't do anything about it," Prosecutor Walter Shea said.
"Jacques Robidoux is no Whitey Bulger. He is no John Gotti. He's no Tony Soprano. He is no Joe 'The Animal' Barboza. He's somebody who comes before you and said, 'I did something wirng.' Was that something wrong the cause of death?" O'Boy said.
The facts in this case support and warrant your returning a verdict of first-degree murder. By that verdict, you will be doing justice. This man doesn't deserve anything more than that from you. Samuel Robidoux doesn't deserve anything less," Shea said.