No verdict reached in case of Raleigh man accused of killing family and posting on Facebook
RALEIGH, NC (WTVD) -- No verdict was reached after jury deliberation on Friday in the trial of a Raleigh man accused of killing his wife and daughter and posting the photos on Facebook.
Elhadji Diop is charged with murdering then 40-year-old Aminata Drame and two-year-old Fatim Diop inside a home in the 5900 block of Farm Gate Road in April 2016.
The prosecution said during closing arguments the wife endured extreme blunt force trauma and the little girl was smothered during a violent fight.
"Think about a small child being crunched under struggling adults, surely crying out and yet the defendant persists in that struggle," said Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman.
Diop allegedly attacked his wife in the kitchen and their two-year-old daughter tried to break up the fight.
The prosecution said he then posted gory pictures of the murders on Facebook.
The post was captioned "Look what God did 2 me. A beautiful family gone."
A relative in Senegal, Africa saw the post and contacted authorities.
The victims' bodies were discovered during a welfare check and officers also found Diop attempting to commit suicide.
"It is difficult to understand how you can murder your wife and your daughter, move their bodies, pose them on the bottom floor and not call 911, not call for help," said Freeman.
The defense argued the deaths were an accident during a passionate fight.
"Horrible things can occur that are the result of an accident," said Wake County Public Defender Charles Caldwell. "His grief is real."
Diop is facing life in prison if convicted.
