Prosecutors have rested their case in the murder retrial of a Mount Pleasant man accused of fatally shooting a 19-year-old woman at a Burlington bar.
Kaysean Rice, 23, of Mount Pleasant, faces first-degree murder and other charges in connection with the March shooting death of Janea Elizabeth Osier , 19, of Mount Pleasant.
During the prosecution’s case, jurors reportedly watched police video in which Rice told investigators he fired his handgun during a fight at Chavy’s Bar and Grill. Rice reportedly claimed that he closed his eyes and fired the weapon in an attempt to frighten people away.
Investigators testified that ammunition located inside a vehicle matched a shell casing recovered from the bar. Rice reportedly told a deputy that he discarded the firearm near Highway 34, but the weapon has not been recovered.
Medical personnel also testified about Osier’s injuries and the efforts made to save her life. Osier died the morning after the shooting. An autopsy determined she died from a gunshot wound, and her death was ruled a homicide.
The defense is scheduled to begin presenting its case Tuesday at the Lee County South Courthouse in Keokuk.
Rice’s first trial ended in a mistrial in June. The charges against him are accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.