COLUMBUS (AP) — The death penalty case against a man charged with raping and killing a woman two years ago is now in the hands of a Franklin County jury.
The Columbus Dispatch reports that jurors in Franklin County heard closing arguments Wednesday in the trial of Anthony Pardon in the January 2018 murder of 24-year-old Rachael Anderson of Columbus.
Prosecutors cited DNA evidence on the body and on appliance cords used to tie the victim up.
Defense attorney Larry Thomas argued that the prosecution case was based on “speculation” and dismissed DNA and cellphone evidence as inexact and not providing conclusive proof.