Opening arguments and witness testimony began Thursday in the trial of Emmanuel Spann, who is accused of first-degree murder in the 2017 death of Burlington resident Demarcus Chew.
The trial could take up to two weeks, and jury selection took a little more than a week.
Chew was shot to death in the backseat of a car outside his mother’s house in Burlington during the early morning hours of Sept. 10, 2017. He had returned from a night on the town in Gulfport, Ill., and was shot shortly before 6 a.m.
The Des Moines County Attorney's office, which is prosecuting the case, accuses Spann of conspiring with four other men in the murder — Andre Harris, Caesar Davison, Derrick Parker, and Antoine Spann. Prosecutors said the murder was $20,000 hit job issued by a Chicago gang.
Like Emmanuel Spann, Davison has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial next month. The other three alleged conspirators, who have already pled guilty to various lesser charges, will testify against Emmanuel Spann in his trial. If convicted of first-degree murder, he would face a mandatory life sentence.
The prosecution and defense agree that Emmanuel Spann concealed the murder weapon after the shooting. However, the defense argued that Mason is not charged with accessory after the fact, so hiding the murder weapon is not relevant to the murder case.
The trial will resume at 9 a.m. Friday at The Des Moines County Courthouse in Burlington.