Deliberations to Begin in Trooper Killer Case

Jury watch will begin soon in the case of a man accused of gunning down a Michigan State Police trooper because he didn't want to go to prison for stealing a vehicle with weapons inside.

That is what the wife of Eric Knysz told a packed courtroom Monday in Ludington.  Sarah Knysz agreed to testify against her husband as part of a plea deal in the murder of Paul Butterfield.  The trooper was shot during a traffic stop in Mason County on September 9, 2013.  Knysz was driving his father's vehicle without permission and is said to have had a weapon in the truck.

Eric Knysz had asked to spare his wife and father from being cross-examined in the case. Jurors heard a recorded confession from the suspect.

Two more prosecution witnesses were expected today before the state rested its case.  The defense named Knysz to potentially take the stand but it's unclear whether he'll speak in his own defense.