Hutch's murder-for-hire trial: Closing arguments wrap, case goes to jury Thursday
PONTIAC, Mich. (FOX 2) - A little more than a week after the start of the trial of two men suspected in a murder-for-hire plot to kill a Metro Detroit jeweler, the trial has come to an end – but the jury isn't deliberating yet.
The final witnesses were called Wednesday morning in Judge Nanci Grant's court in Oakland County for the murder of Dan ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson. Among those final witnesses was Roy Larry, one of the two defendants in the case. He began his testimony Tuesday afternoon and finished Wednesday morning.
With the witnesses finished, Oakland County Assistant Prosecutor John Skrzynski began closing arguments as he represented their final arguments over the span of four hours. Both defense attorneys also got a chance for closing arguments with the end of the trial coming at 4 p.m.
The prosecutor's burden is to prove the suspects are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt – and in this case, Skrzynski must prove that both Roy Larry and Marco Bisbikis are guilty.
"He didn't actually do it but he helped do it and that makes him just as guilty," he said of Bisbikis.
Bisbikis was an attorney for the Dan Hutchinson and his wife, Marisa. He's charged with orchestrating the plot to kill the married couple, while Larry is accused of being the man who pulled the trigger.
On Wednesday, Larry returned to the stand where he testified he's never changed his version of events.
"I never changed my story - I never lied to them not one time," Larry said.
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Testimony will resume Tuesday morning in the trial of two men charged in the murder of popular Oak Park jeweler Dan ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson.
He said he was asked if he was the shooter – which he denied. He denies he's the man in this security camera video showing the gunman on a bike - firing 14 rounds into the Hutchinson SUV on June 1, 2022.
Skryzinzki detailed the complicated connection between Bisbikis and Larry.
Prosecutors say Bisbikis was the Hutchinson's attorney and helped them launder millions in cash from their jewelry business. They argue he even wrote himself in to their will and trust. Skryzinzki's said he then lied to his own employees – Angelo Raptopolous and Darnell Larry – to get them to kill the Hutchinsons. Skryzinzki's claim is that Darnell turned to his cousin, Roy, to do the shooting.
Both Raptopolous and Darnell Larry pleaded after making deals and avoiding life sentences.
"I told you at the beginning this case is about greed and betrayal and murder and I think you can see now why I said that," Skryzinzki said.
Defense attorneys James Thomas and Mitchell Ribitwer argue that Raptopolous and Darnelle Larry – both of whom testified – can't be trusted to tell the truth.
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The murder-for-hire plot to kill the owner of Hutch's Jewelry was detailed in court on Monday as the man originally hired to kill Dan Hutchinson testified.
"The prosecution has taken their electronic information - all the investigative pieces they have and wrapped it up in a nice little bow - but you open up that box you're going to see two things - Darnell Larry and you're going to see Angelo Raptoplous," Thomas said in his closing argument.
They say Skryzinzki's evidence doesn't add up.
"No Covid mask recovered, no gun recovered," Ribitwer said. "No gunshot residue tests performed on Roy Larry - no gunshot residue performed on his clothing."
The case will officially be handed over to the jury Thursday morning in Pontiac.