Deliberations continue in 'Black Sunday' trial

No verdict was reached Tuesday night in the ?Black Sunday? trial as a jury continued to deliberate the fate of three defendants accused of contributing to the deaths of two firefighters in 2005. Cesar

News 12 Staff

May 27, 2014, 9:45 PM

Updated 3,713 days ago

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No verdict was reached Tuesday night in the ?Black Sunday? trial as a jury continued to deliberate the fate of three defendants accused of contributing to the deaths of two firefighters in 2005.
Cesar Rios, landlord of the 178th Street Bronx building, and tenants Rafael Castillo and Caridad Coste are facing manslaughter charges for allegedly erecting illegal partitions in the building, leading to the deaths of firefighter John Bellew and Lt. Curtis Meyran.
During closing arguments Tuesday, defense attorneys for Rios and the building?s management company cast the full blame for the firefighters? deaths on Coste and Castillo.
?[The] tenants are the ones who erected the wall ? putting the electricity that was badly wired,? says attorney Neal Comer. ?We didn?t do anything of that nature and, in fact, the facts were hidden from us.?
If convicted, Rios, Castillo and Caridad could face up to 15 years in prison.
One of the two juries in the case has yet to hear the prosecution's closing arguments. Both juries are expected to be fully deliberating by Wednesday.
Surviving firefighter testifies in 'Black Sunday' trial Jurors hear radio transmissions in 'Black Sunday' trialTestimony continues in 'Black Sunday' trial Defendants in 'Black Sunday' case go on trial Tenant: 'Black Sunday' repeat possible at building


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