WACO, Texas — The trial continued Wednesday in the McLennan County 54th District Court for the trial of Elijah Craven.
The trial began on Tuesday, Aug. 29.
Craven is being accused of murdering Aquarius McPhaul on Sep. 10, 2019.
Detective Cassie Price with the Waco Police Department was on the stand for at least two hours during trial, with both prosecutors and the defense asking for in-depth detail of old Instagram messages and posts.
Price testified that the Instagram messages between McPhaul and Craven from before the shooting had been deleted from Cravens phone, but were still visible on McPhaul's phone.
Price also said they found a video on Craven's Instagram account showing a gun that was identical to the gun that was used to murder McPhaul.
She also said the messages between the two requesting to meet up matched the time frame of surveillance video catching McPhaul get picked up at the New Road Inn.
However, the defense argued that Craven sent a message back to McPhaul implying he didn't pick him up — that's when Detective Price said she believed that message was an alibi.
Later, witness Sadarius Greer took the stand, saying he spoke with Craven after the shooting. He said Craven told him "he shot somebody and I didn't believe it," and he continued with "I think he told me that he might have left the mask behind."
That mask Greer mentioned is believed to be the mask found near McPhaul's body behind the Oakwood Cemetery.
Daezion Watkins, who was also indicted for Mcphaul's murder, has since bonded out after a receiving a reduced bond in March 2021.
Closing arguments begin Thursday.
