Jurors to begin deliberating Kiera Bergman murder case

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - Four years after the crime and after six weeks of testimony, a jury finally will begin deliberating in Kiera Bergman’s murder case. “If you believe the evidence either intentionally shows he caused Kiera’s death or he did so knowing he would cause death or physical injury, that’s enough for second degree murder,” said Maricopa County prosecutor Shawn Jensvold. The state maintains Bergman had a rocky relationship with her then-boyfriend, Jon Christopher Clark, and he killed her and then sent text messages from Bergman’s phone pretending to be her.

“Jon Christopher (Clark) is innocent,” defense attorney Keith Terry told the jury. “The state is trying to tell the same old story, the boyfriend did it.” During closing arguments, Terry showed photos of the two looking happy. He said police didn’t pursue other potential suspects that surfaced during the investigation. “If somebody else may have committed this crime, you must find Jon Christopher (Clark) not guilty,” Terry said.

Jurors are set to return on Tuesday morning to start deliberations. “Was Kiera really this reckless girl going out there sleeping with everyone? That’s the ‘slut shaming’ campaign that’s been going on. Is that really the evidence? Or was she just a young woman trying to make her way?” said Jensvold. “Kiera’s only mistake- it was a fatal mistake- was putting her trust and her love in the wrong person.”

Clark faces second-degree murder and tampering with evidence charges. A second-degree murder conviction in Arizona carries a 10-15 year sentence.

To read previous coverage of Bergman’s murder case investigation, see the links below.

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