Prosecution and defense rest in death penalty trial in Oak Ridge

ANDERSON COUNTY, Tennessee – Prosecutors and the defense concluded their closing arguments Friday afternoon in the death penalty trial of Sean Finnegan.

The Oak Ridge man is accused of kidnapping, raping, torturing and murdering Jennifer Paxton of Knoxville.

During closing arguments, the state urged the jury to make “ice-cold” decisions in the case. Prosecutor Kevin Allen claimed that Finnegan was caught red-handed in the crimes, pointing to the origin of the phrase: a hand covered in blood.

Allen said the jury should find Finnegan guilty on all counts, saying Finnegan kidnapped, beat, raped, tortured and strangled her, then slept eight feet from her body for months.

Authorities said Finnegan kept Paxton's body in a freezer in his upstairs bedroom closet for months. When police arrived to investigate reports of a body in the freezer, Finnegan hid Paxton's body under his bed, the state alleges.

In his closing argument, Allen again addressed the witnesses called by the state and reflected on the highlights of their testimony.

Kit Rodgers then delivered the defense's closing argument. Throughout the trial, the defense tried to pin the blame on Finnegan's co-defendant, Rebecca Dishman. Dishman pleaded guilty last year as part of a deal to avoid the death penalty. She testified against Finnegan earlier this week.

In his argument, Rodgers used a chalkboard to explain the character traits of Dishman and Finnegan. He portrayed Dishman as a housewife who was unreliable and mentally unstable. He portrayed Finnegan as a “regular guy” who came to work on time every day and took care of his sickly, elderly mother.

The state then had a chance to address the jury again. Prosecutor Sarah Keith echoed Allen's argument, saying Paxton was brutally raped, beaten and killed in Finnegan's home. She said Finnegan must be found guilty on all counts, including kidnapping, aggravated rape, first-degree premeditated murder and desecration of a corpse.

On Saturday morning, the jury will hear about 100 pages of instructions from Chief Judge Don Ash. The instructions will outline how the jury should apply the law to each count Finnegan is charged with.

The jury will then begin deliberating. It is unclear whether a verdict can be read out on Saturday – that depends on how long the deliberations last. The jury is shielded from the outside world.

If Finnegan is found guilty of murder, he will automatically be sentenced to life in prison. However, because he faces the death penalty, a “mini-trial” will be held next week when the jury will reconvene and decide whether Finnegan will receive a life sentence with the possibility of parole, life without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty.

The trial will continue Saturday morning in Clinton.