Jury Deliberating In Owasso Double Murder Trial

A Rogers County jury was deliberating in the case of an Owasso man charged with two counts of first-degree murder on Wednesday.

Prosecutors say Manuel Quezada murdered two cousins after a fight, but Quezada’s attorney says he was afraid for his life.

It was a very emotional day in court for friends and family of both the victims, DeJon Ross and Albert Thomas, and the suspect, Quezada.

There were many people crying and hugging during closing arguments.

Quezada is accused of shooting and killing Thomas and Ross back in October of 2019.

The prosecution says Thomas and Ross pulled up to Quezada’s home and he came out to meet them, with the intention to start a fight.

Prosecutors say after the fight was over, Thomas and Ross were trying to leave, when Quezada fired shots at both.

Quezada’s attorney says he was trying to protect his daughter.

They say one of the victims, Thomas, had sex trafficked Quezada’s daughter.

They say Quezada was trying to keep the men from taking his daughter when the men attacked him, and he killed them in self-defense.

Prosecutors focused on what they say was Quezada’s intent to kill Ross and Thomas.

They argue Quezada went outside to start a fight with both men and decided to shoot him once he was losing that fight.

They say the men were heard on a recording, saying "let's go" when they were killed.

Prosecutors painted the picture of Quezada as a gang member, who wanted to take justice for his daughter into his own hands.

They argued Ross and Thomas went to Quezada’s house with the intent to take his daughter again and prostitute her.

They told the jury Quezada was protecting his daughter and tried to take the keys out of the victims’ car and that’s when the fight started.

They say Quezada is a quiet, family man who wanted to keep his family together.

They also said he was not involved in a gang at the time of the shooting.

The jury went back to deliberate after more than four hours of closing arguments.