A Hamilton County jury will continue deliberations today in the murder trial of a 37-year-old Chattanooga man.
Prosecutors and Walter Glenn's defense attorney finished their closing arguments Wednesday afternoon, the second day of the trial.
Glenn is charged with first-degree premeditated murder in the Dec. 20, 2009, stabbing death of Carlton Braswell.
Witnesses testified that the two began arguing after Braswell, 17, asked Glenn for a cigarette and Glenn refused.
On Wednesday, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Rogers paced in front of the jury during his closing argument and frequently pointed at Glenn.
Rogers told the jury that Glenn could have turned and walked away after Braswell walked to a nearby porch on Southern Street to buy cigarettes, but instead he "turned around" and confronted Braswell to "teach him a lesson."
Prosecutors finished calling witnesses early Wednesday afternoon. Braswell's friend Vanshawn Woods provided the most contested testimony.
Woods said he came downstairs in his aunt's Southern Street apartment as he heard "hollering" outside. When he opened the ground-floor door, he said, he saw Braswell and Glenn arguing.
Concerned for Braswell's safety, Woods said, he told the teen to come inside. Braswell said he would after he went next door to "Banana Man's" apartment to buy three cigarettes and some marijuana.
Woods said he closed the door and went upstairs to use the restroom, but came back downstairs when he heard more yelling. He found Braswell running with blood "jumping out his neck" and Glenn walking the other direction with a knife in his hand, Woods testified.
But Glenn's attorney, Ben McGowan, challenged Woods' recollection.
He pointed out that Woods told prosecutors a day before the trial that he heard Glenn threaten Braswell. But Woods didn't tell that to police investigating the death or bring it up in the preliminary hearing a few months after Braswell's death.
McGowan asked the jury how much they could trust the testimony of some prosecution witnesses based on their inconsistent statements.
Glenn did not testify and McGowan did not call any witnesses on his client's behalf.