Jury deliberates over Kaufman verdict
A Tennessee jury on Monday began deliberating the fate of the two men charged with first-degree murder in the December 2020 shooting death of Butler County native Caitlyn Kaufman, and are continuing to deliberate Tuesday.
The trial of DeVaunte Hill, 23, and James Cowan, 29, both of Tennessee, began Jan. 23 in Davidson County Court in Nashville, and testimony concluded Saturday. Prosecutors and defense attorneys made closing arguments Monday before Judge Angelita Dalton instructed the jury. The jury began deliberating around lunchtime.
Kaufman, 26, of Chicora was found dead Dec. 3, 2020, of a single gunshot wound in her Mazda SUV along the shoulder of Interstate 440 in Nashville. She was driving to work at St. Thomas West Hospital, where she was an intensive care nurse. Authorities believe the shooting occurred at 6:08 p.m. Police discovered Kaufman about two and a half-hours later. Police found six bullet holes in her vehicle.
Testimony concluded Saturday after Hill testified that Kaufman cut him off, along with Cowan, Cowan hit the brakes and he fired at her SUV with a Springfield 9 mm pistol.
In her opening statement on Jan. 25, one of Hill’s attorneys, Georgia Sims, assistant deputy public defender, said Hills shot Kaufman while Cowan was driving.
Jacques Merrell-Odom, 23, of Nashville, the informant whose cooperation led police to arrest Hill and Cowan, testified Thursday that on Dec. 6, Hill asked him to get rid of the gun. He said he agreed to trade his Smith and Wesson .40-caliber pistol with Hill in exchange for the Springfield.
Later that day, he said he saw Hill again, and Hill asked him if he had gotten rid of the Springfield. He said Hill then showed him a news article on his cellphone about Kaufman’s shooting and told him that he shot her.
Merrell-Odom said he wanted to give the Springfield back to Hill and get his Smith and Wesson back, but Hill refused.
On Dec. 10, Odom said he took the Springfield to St. Thomas West Hospital and told a nurse he had information about Kaufman’s death. He said he tried to contact Kaufman's mother through social media earlier in the day, but did not reach her. He said he wanted to give the gun to Kaufman's mother.
Metro Nashville police said they spent six hours with Merrell-Odom that day, and his cooperation led them to arrest Hill the next day and arrest Cowan in January.
In closing arguments Monday, Assistant District Attorney Jan Norman said the shooting was an act of premeditated murder, and Hill and Cowan are equally culpable.
She said Hill would not have been able to shoot Kaufman if Cowan hadn't caught up to her vehicle, pulled up along side it and maintained a steady speed.
“It took both of them, and they did it for a reason. They had a motive — Mr. Hill wanted vengeance against her for cutting off Mr. Cowan,” Norman said. “The driver and shooter are both responsible because it took both of them.”
Hill's other attorney, Jason Chaffin, who also is a public defender, said in his closing that Hill's actions were unjustifiable and reckless, but he did not intend to kill Kaufman, and the shooting was not premeditated.
He said none of the evidence and testimony proved the shooting was anything other than a case of road rage.
Cowan's attorney, Ron Munkeboe, argued that no proof that Cowan was responsible for killing Kaufman was presented.
“Mr. Cowan did not kill Caitlyn Kaufman and is not responsible for anyone who did,” Munkeboe said.
“DeVaunte Hill couldn't have killed Caitlyn Kaufman without James Cowan,” Deputy District Attorney Roger Moore said in his concluding closing statement.
In her deliberation instructions to the jury, Judge Angelita Dalton said the jury could consider charges of first degree murder, second degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, criminally negligent homicide or facilitation of any of those offenses for either defendant.
Kaufman's parents and other family members, and family and friends of the defendants, attended the trial.
