KILLED OVER SPEAKERS

RANCHO CUCAMONGA - Jurors will begin deliberating this morning in the trial of an Ontario man charged with orchestrating the murder of his neighbor in a simmering feud over borrowed stereo speakers.
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Related story: Prosecutors: Man killed because he didn't return stereo speakers

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During closing arguments of Kent Craig's trial Wednesday, the prosecutor told jurors Craig was so enraged by neighbor Craig Corle's refusal to return the speakers, he hired an Ontario gang member to kill the man.

"Kent Craig was pissed off that this guy had the audacity to disrespect him like that," Deputy District Attorney Kent Williams argued.

Craig's lawyer, meanwhile, told jurors Craig had nothing to do with Corle's death.

Instead, he blamed the killing on a longtime friend of Craig's, Cesar Guzman, who he said arranged the assault on Corle because Corle owed him $100 for a computer.

"The guy who has the motive here is Cesar," defense attorney Phil Cozens argued. "He wants his computer back."

Craig, a 47-year-old federal meat inspector, is on trial in West Valley Superior Court charged with murder and conspiracy in the Oct. 30, 2002, shooting of Corle.

Corle, 38, who lived above Craig in an apartment complex on Country Oaks Loop in Ontario, was found dead on the floor of his home. He had been shot 10 times.

A computer was stolen off his desk.


Prosecutors say Craig, Corle and Guzman were all friends at one time and occasionally smoked crack cocaine together.

But their relationship apparently soured over both the speakers and the $100 Corle owed Guzman for a computer.

Corle lost his life in the dispute, and both Craig and Guzman landed in jail in connection with his death.

Craig's three-week trial hinges almost entirely on the testimony of Guzman, who pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and turned state's evidence against Craig.

Williams on Wednesday urged jurors to believe Guzman's testimony, while Cozens accused the witness of placing the blame on Craig to keep himself out of prison.

Guzman testified during the trial that Craig was livid over the stereo speakers and asked him to find someone to beat up Corle.

Guzman said he turned to a teenage drug dealer nicknamed Hard Time, who agreed to do it for $50.

He said he took Hard Time to Craig's apartment. Craig and the teen had a brief conversation, then the teen went up to Corle's apartment, according to Guzman's version of events.

Guzman claimed he heard gunshots, and then saw Hard Time leave Corle's apartment carrying a computer.

Williams on Wednesday said Craig had previously made statements about wanting Corle dead, and probably gave Hard Time the green light to execute the neighbor during the brief conversation they had moments before the killing.

"The intention was to go up there and kill the guy," Williams argued.

Cozens, however, claimed Craig had nothing to do with setting up the attack and repeatedly shifted the blame to Guzman.

He said evidence suggested Guzman hired Hard Time on his own to repossess the computer.

But it was nothing Craig either condoned or helped plan, the defense attorney argued.

"You should come back with `not guilty' verdicts," Cozens told jurors.

Craig faces life in prison if convicted.

Prosecutors have not filed charges against the alleged shooter.

Yea Ill take care of. Just let me get a 50 out of it