“DeVaunte Hill is responsible for Caitlyn Kaufman's death. He's the person who pulled the trigger and ended her life.”

That is how the public defender representing Hill, 23, of Tennessee began her opening statement on the third day of the trial of Hill and co-defendant James Cowan, 29, who have been charged with first degree murder in the December 2020 death of Kaufman.

Kaufman, 26, of Chicora, was shot and killed Dec. 3 on Interstate 440 in Nashville. She was driving from her home in Lebanon, Tenn., to St. Thomas West Hospital, where she worked as an intensive care nurse.

The trial began Monday with jury selection in Davidson County Court in Nashville.

Georgia Sims, the Davidson County assistant deputy public defender representing Hill, told the jury that shooting at Kaufman’s vehicle was a “gross over-reaction” by Hill to Kaufman cutting off him and Cowan in traffic. She said Cowan was driving during the incident.

She said Hill fired six shots in rapid succession, but didn’t know if the shots struck anything until he learned from news reports the next day that Kaufman died.

She said Hill is not guilty of first degree murder because he did not act with a “conscious desire” to end her life. She said Hill deserves justice and not vengeance.

“Justice for Caitlyn Kaufman is bound up in justice for DeVaunte Hill and James Cowan,” Sims said.

Kaufman’s mother, Diane Kaufman, and one of Kaufman’s co-workers testified after opening arguments were completed Wednesday. The jury was selected Monday and Tuesday.

Attorney Ron Munkeboe, representing Cowan, said in his opening statement that there is no proof Cowan killed anyone, caused a death or intended to kill anyone.

“This case will be more about the proof you don’t hear,” Munkeboe said.

Assistant district attorney Jan Norman said data collected from cellphones in both vehicles showed both were traveling over 70 mph until 6:08 p.m. when Kaufman’s vehicle slowed down.

About 2 hours and 45 minutes later, a Metro Nashville police officer pulled up to Kaufman’s Mazda SUV believing she was a disabled motorist, Norman said. The officer found the SUV on the shoulder of the highway against a guardrail with the engine running and Kaufman’s foot on the brake pedal.

Summarizing the prosecution’s case, Norman said an informant stepped forward on Dec. 10 after the reward for information leading to information about Kaufman’s death reached $66,000.

The informant, who had been friends with Hill since childhood, went to the hospital where Kaufman worked and asked to speak with Kaufman’s mother. He was told to speak with police, and Metro Nashville police took him to the station where he eventually said Hill told him that he shot Kaufman, Norman said. The informant also said the gun Hill used was in his own car, which he left at the hospital.

When Hill was arrested Dec. 11, he initially said he was in Atlanta, Ga., at the time of the shooting, but he eventually told police that he was driving the car and another man — not Cowan — shot Kaufman due to “road rage” after she cut them off in traffic, Norman said.

The silver Cadillac that police believe Hill and Cowan were driving during the shooting was found burned on Dec. 12.

Kaufman’s mother testified that she talked to Caitlyn multiple times every day on the phone and hung up with her just before she was shot. She said she got no answer when she called Caitlyn back twice about 10 minutes later.

That evening after a friend who worked with Caitlyn called her and said Caitlyn didn’t show up for work, she said she electronically located Caitlyn’s phone and vehicle on I-440, and they weren’t moving.

After some of Caitlyn’s friends drove to look for her, Diane said the police called saying Caitlyn had been fatally injured.

A police officer testified that he saw bullet holes from the front to the rear of the vehicle including one in the driver’s window and an apparent gunshot wound on Kaufman’s left shoulder. He said medics found no vital signs and Kaufman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Danielle Connor, a civilian crime scene investigator with the Metro Nashville police department, testified that six bullet holes were found on the vehicle, and three empty shell casings were found on the highway behind the SUV.

Sgt. Chris Dickerson testified that the informant was initially considered a suspect because the gun was in his car, but most of what he told police was true, and data retrieved from Hill’s cellphone indicated that Cowan was involved in the shooting. He said Cowan was arrested in January 2021.

Another officer testified that an unloaded Springfield XD-9 9 mm handgun, 15 9 mm bullets, 13 7.62-caliber rifle cartridges and one .40-caliber bullet were found and recovered from the informant’s car.

Testimony is scheduled to resume Thursday morning.