Defense rests its case in trial of Wake County man who killed in-laws, shot wife
RALEIGH, North Carolina (WTVD) -- The prosecution and defense have rested their cases in the trial of admitted Wake County killer Nathan Holden after his attorneys said Wednesday morning he would not testify in his own defense.
Closing arguments are scheduled for Thursday morning.
Holden faces first-degree murder charges in the fatal shootings of 57-year-old Angelia Smith Taylor and 66-year-old Sylvester Taylor near Wendell in April 2014.
He also shot his estranged wife LaTonya Allen in the face and chest as the couple's three children were huddled in a nearby closet listening.
RELATED: 2 dead in Wake County triple shooting near Wendell
If convicted, he faces the death penalty. Holden's attorneys are trying to keep him off death row.
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In court Wednesday, Holden's cousin Douglas Carroll testified that he sold a gun to Holden years before the murders. Carroll also said Holden asked him to pick him up the day of the brutal killings. He said Holden was acting strange.
"He was crying said 'Take care of my kids and I love you.' I mean, that wasn't Nate," said Carroll.
Allen - who survived the attack - had a restraining order against her husband when the incident happened. The couple separated back in December 2013.
The doctor who operated on Allen's chest wound called her survival miraculous.
RELATED: Doctor says it was 'miraculous' woman survived attack
In court Friday, a social worker said that when she interview Holden two days after the murders he told her that "they got what they deserved."
Social worker Larna Haddix told jurors Holden blamed Allen for the crime.
"'All this was her fault. If she just would have answered the phone,'" Haddix explained. "That he continuously tried to call her all day. He called her and called her and she wouldn't answer the phone. And if she would have answered the phone none of this would have happened."
She then inquired about why he would take it out on his in-laws.
"I asked him why he would do that, you know, they were very nice people," Haddix said, to which Holden reportedly replied, "'What's done is done. They got what they deserved.'"
