Kameron Leslie gives closing statement in his murder case
A Criminal Court jury on Friday afternoon found Kameron Leslie guilty of the strangulation murder of his girlfriend, Taja Whiteside. He faces a life prison term.
Chief Homicide Prosecutor Michael Dowd stated, “I’m relieved that the jury saw this case the same way that we did. I’m also grateful that the family and friends of Taja have received some justice for her and now have an opportunity to move forward with their lives.
"Nothing that we can do will ever give them what they truly want, which is to have Taja back. For three children to get their mother back. I just hope that this verdict allows them to start to heal.”
Leslie acted as his own attorney and he was limited in what he could tell the jury in the closing argument because he did not take the witness stand.
Prosecutor Dowd objected early on in the Leslie closing, saying he could only refer to proof from the witness stand. Criminal Court Judge Amanda Dunn said that was correct.
The defense put on only one witness - a cell phone expert - in the case involving the death of the 30-year-old victim at her Hixson home on Jan. 11, 2019.
It was testified there were texts between Leslie and Ms. Whiteside in the early morning of that day. However, according to Dr. Stephen Cogswell of the Medical Examiner's office, she died 2-4 hours after eating supper the night before. Prosecutor Dowd said that was 8 p.m., putting the time of death no later than midnight.
The prosecutor said he believes that Leslie had both phones with him at the time of the texts and was utilizing both phones to try to create an alibi.
Leslie also told the jury that DNA testing showed evidence of other males on some of the tested items from the house.
Prosecutor Dowd said the body of the victim was found on the bedroom floor with her head pushed into a pillow and with a condom underneath her. He said there was DNA of Leslie from a vaginal swab of the victim and from the pillow.
The prosecutor asked the jury to find Leslie guilty of first-degree murder.
He said, "What happened to Taja Whiteside should not happen to anyone - to spend your last seconds having the life choked out of you while your children are across the hall."
He said the children were in bed by 9 p.m., then they heard a commotion and a scream. He said a daughter earlier told an investigator that she heard Leslie say, "I'm going to kill you."
Prosecutor Dowd said a neighbor saw Leslie outside the residence that morning with the keys to the car or Ms. Whiteside that he subsequently drove to Florida. He said Leslie did not let anyone know where he had gone, and did not speak to his mother for five weeks. He said he used an assumed name after driving to Jacksonville.