FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – About 11 a.m. Tuesday, jurors began deliberating the trial of a man accused of killing his adopted mother.
Gerard Lopes is charged with premeditated murder in Natalie Belmonte's death. Belmonte, his cousin, adopted him from Guyana after his father died. Lopes was 10 at the time.
Shortly after beginning deliberations, jurors asked to see several photos and a mop that prosecutors say was used to clean up the crime scene.
Prosecutors said Lopes raped his mother before killing her to cover up the crime. Lopes' attorneys argued the two had consensual sex.
Stay with Local 10 and Local10.com for updates when the verdict is reached.