Prosecutors say Jonte Harris “tortured” and ultimately killed Zykerria after months of abuse. Defense attorneys argue there’s no evidence Harris killed her.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Family of 5-year-old Zykerria Robinson and family of her accused killer, Jonte Harris, 31, are awaiting the return of a jury to deliver a verdict in Jacksonville Thursday.
Prosecutors say Harris “tortured” and ultimately killed Zykerria in 2018 in their Westside home after months of abuse. Harris was in a relationship with Zykerria’s mother, Michelle Cannimore, who pleaded guilty in 2019 to aggravated manslaughter of a child and testified on the first day of Harris’s murder trial.
Harris is facing charges for first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter of a child and aggravated child abuse.
Medical examiners say Zykerria died from head trauma. In 2018, they found adult bite marks on her body along with other injuries including black eyes and bruising, signifiers of long-term abuse.
Prosecutors say 911 was not called for hours after Zykerria was struck. They say she had a broken clavicle and showed photos to the jury of her injuries, including one of her face while she was in a coma.
Defense attorneys argue Cannimore is the one who killed Zykerria and that there is no direct evidence linking Harris to the child’s death. They claim Google searches related to her injuries were done in an effort to protect Zykerria, not hide her injuries, and that abuse had been going on before Harris moved in with Cannimore.
Prosecutors say when the “fatal blows” took place, Harris was home alone with Zykerria. Text messages between Harris and Cannimore were read in court and prosecutors say Harris’ words show a motive and convict him. They say in some of the texts, Harris refers to Zykerria as the “devil” and tells Cannimore to keep Zykerria in an empty room and not feed her.
The jury left the courtroom to go deliberate at 12:48 p.m. Thursday. The jurors are all women except for one man. Harris has appeared solemn throughout the trial, which began Tuesday after jury selection Monday. Harris’ immediate family members have been attending the trial.
On Tuesday, witnesses had to pause several times when describing Zykerria’s injuries. The doctor who treated her and took her off life support and one of the responding Jacksonville Sheriff’s officers had to take a moment to collect themselves during their testimony when they got emotional. The judge ordered a brief recess during Cannimore’s testimony when she broke down crying on the stand.
First Coast News will be livestreaming the verdict when it is read.
