WATCH | Secoriea Turner murder: Prosecution rests its case in Julian Conley trial

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Prosecutors rested their case on Wednesday after nearly six days of testimony in the trial over the 2020 shooting death of 8-year-old Secoriea Turner.

What we know:

Prosecutors rested their case shortly before noon on Wednesday. 

The defense began presenting its case Tuesday in the murder trial over the 2020 death of 8-year-old Secoriea Turner, calling an armed protester who was at the scene as its first witness.

The woman, who the court did not allow to be publicly identified, testified that she saw a man in tactical gear open fire near the Wendy’s where Rayshard Brooks had been killed by police a month earlier.

"I saw someone standing there, a male, who I did not know. And I knew most of the people at the Wendy’s. Someone who I had not saw before. He was dressed in all black. He had tactical gear on. He had dreadlocks. I can’t remember if he had a beard or not. But now that I’m picturing it, I see one. I don’t know why. But he had beads, necklace beads with black, red, green, and yellow. And he just opened up his gun," the witness told jurors. She added that another man with him also began shooting.

On cross-examination, prosecutors pressed her on details, pointing out that both Turner’s mother and the driver of the SUV said the gunman wore black, while they contend the defendant, Julian Conley, was photographed in red that night. Prosecutors also presented video of the shooting that showed the family’s SUV attempting to get around a barricade as an armed man crouched and fired.

The questioning grew tense when the witness was asked if everyone in the video was wearing black. She answered no, prompting further back and forth in court.

Clothing descriptions have become central to the defense argument. Conley’s attorneys maintain that because their client was wearing red, he could not have been the shooter described by Turner’s mother and the driver.

Jurors also heard earlier testimony from the medical examiner about the bullet trajectory. The defense pressed the possibility that a bullet could have entered the vehicle from the rear, though the medical examiner said scientific evidence pointed to a shot coming from the left-hand side.

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• Secoriea Turner: Testimony continues on Tuesday in Fulton County
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Trial in death of Secoriea Turner 

The backstory:

Opening statements in the murder trial of Julian Jamal Conley last week marked the beginning of a case that has gripped Atlanta for more than four years. Conley is accused of firing an AR-15-style rifle into a Jeep on July 4, 2020, killing 8-year-old Secoriea Turner as protests unfolded near the Wendy’s where Rayshard Brooks had been shot by police.

Prosecutors told jurors Conley "consciously, intentionally" aimed at the vehicle as it passed a barricade, striking the SUV eight times. They played recordings capturing the child’s final moments. Detectives described the atmosphere near Pryor Road as tense, with armed groups blocking traffic.

Defense attorneys countered that witnesses — including Turner’s mother — described the shooter as dressed in black, not red as prosecutors allege Conley wore. They also pressed the state’s medical examiner on bullet trajectory, arguing the path was not as clear-cut as prosecutors claim.

The trial has included emotional testimony from Turner’s mother, who recalled her daughter’s joy and the night she was killed. Jurors also saw photos of the bullet-riddled Jeep.

What's next:

Conley faces charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and gang-related offenses. A co-defendant, Jerrion McKinney, previously entered an Alford plea and received a 40-year sentence, with 20 years to serve.

The jury is expected to be handed the case by the end of the week or