Couey breaks, briefly

For one of the rare times during the trial, John Couey is visibly agitated.

While he has focused on a free-hand pencil drawing during much of the prosecution's closing remarks, a small burst of emotion came to the surface as Magrino described how Couey bound Jessica Lunsford's wrists with speaker wire and put her in trash bags.

Couey made several sharp swipes of his pencil in apparent frustration and rested the bridge of his nose in his fingers. He recovered quickly, focusing on his drawing with even greater intensity.

Still, he is regularly making side comments to his attorneys.

-- Elena Lesley

The defendant's words

"Folks use your common sense," Prosecutor Pete Magrino instructed jurors during his closing remarks. Couey's claims about Jessica's behavior -- "His words, not mine," Magrino repeated several times -- just aren't credible.

According to Couey, Jessica said she "felt like she had the rag on" after they had sex. A nine-year-old girl in North Central Florida "is not going to use a term like that," Magrino said.

Couey also claimed that Jessica "knew more than she should have at her age" and "played with him sexually."

In truth, Couey's version of events is distorted, the state contends. Because of his deviant sexual desires, "he preyed on" an innocent girl, Magrino said.

-- Elena Lesley

Daddy's girl

As Prosecutor Pete Magrino makes his closing remarks to the jury, he has mentioned several times why Jessica Lunsford may have left the house.

Jail Guard John Read testified that John Couey told Jessica he was "taking her to her father." Mark Lunsford was away that night, staying with a girlfriend.

Why Jessica would have gone with Couey, without crying out, has been one of the nagging questions surrounding the case. Considering Jessica's close relationship with her father, Read's version of events seems a plausible scenario.

-- Elena Lesley

Anticipation

The windows of Courtroom 4-1 have been papered over to prepare for today's jury deliberation. Satellite trucks -- even more than usual -- huddled across from the courthouse this morning and reporters lined benches outside 4-1's security checkpoint, waiting to be let in.

The subject on everyone's mind: verdict.

After closing statements wrap up this morning, jurors will weigh all that they have seen and consider whether Couey committed murder, burglary, kidnapping and sexual assault -- or possibly some lesser crimes. Prosecutors are hopeful they could come to a decision by the end of today.

"Are you ready?" an attorney asked Mark Lunsford, as they waited for Judge Ric Howard to enter.

"Yeah, I guess so."

-- Elena Lesley