Jurors begin deliberations in Young murder trial

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Jurors are now deliberating the fate of the teen accused of helping his father murder his 14-year-old stepbrother, Terrence "Trey" Zwicker two years ago.

Young is charged with complicity to murder in Zwicker's death. Zwicker's battered body was found behind Liberty High School in May of 2011. He had been beaten to death.

Young's father, Joshua Gouker confessed to killing Zwicker -- his stepson -- and says his son, Josh, had nothing to do with it. Gouker is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for 20 years.

Closing arguments started at 9 a.m., and wrapped up a couple hours later.

Defense attorney Leslie Smith asked the jury to send Young home, arguing that the case should never have been brought to begin with.

"Everything Joshua Gouker says can be taken one of two ways," she said. "That's why you don't listen to him. That guy is not a mastermind. He is a puppet master. He's duped everybody."

"Do you really think he involved anybody else at all to carry out this horrible crime?" she asked. "He planned if for 10 years. He planned it."

She also said Gouker set Young up.

"He took a lot of pleasure in doing that to that poor boy," she said. "He really did...all you have to look at those injuries. All you have to do is look at them. There is no way a full-size Louisville Slugger bat did that. There's no way."

"Why are we here?" she concluded. "Send this kid home, wherever that's gonna be. Just send him home. He's innocent. It's not a 'not guilty' thing. He's innocent and you know it. I can't believe we are here. Send this kid home."

Prosecutor Elizabeth Jones Brown had a much different take.

"On May 10, 2011, Josh Young murdered Trey Zwicker in one of the most brutal crimes imaginable," Brown said. "He beat him to death. As Trey suffocated in the mud, his face was pounded into, while a baseball bat hit the back of his head."

"Let me be clear: I don't think for a second Gouker isn't guilty of this," she said. "I think he started it, and put his son up to it. Look at the complicity definition and there you go. He's guilty."

"He was not coerced into doing this. He bragged about it. He laughed about it."

On Thursday, Judge Barry Willett told jurors to "pack a suitcase" if deliberations continue into the evening. In that case, the jury will be sequestered at a nearby hotel for the night.

We'll bring you the verdict as soon as the jury reaches a decision.