Defense Wraps Up Closing Arguments In Britt Trial

LUMBERTON, N.C. — Myron Britt's lawyers spent 10 hours making closing arguments Tuesday and Wednesday. Now, jurors are one step closer to deciding whether Britt killed his wife, a Wake County teacher.

Britt's attorneys accused investigators of sloppy work during their closing arguments Wednesday.

"Somebody wasn't thorough, somebody didn't do their job," said defense attorney Woodberry Bowen.

When investigators got to the crime scene, they checked Nancy Britt's hands for gunshot residue to see if she shot herself. But they never tested her sister, who she was with at the time of her shooting death.

"If you're doing a thorough, complete job, it wouldn't have hurt to have given Donna Madry a gunshot residue test," said Bowen.

Myron Britt's lawyers said that such a test could have ruled him out right away if it had been performed on him.

"It defies restful sleep to figure out why these officers thought to give Nancy Britt, the poor, dead woman, a gunshot residue test, and it didn't occur to them to do it for the spouse," said Bowen.

Britt's lawyers also talked about his money situation and his finances -- something that played a big role in the prosecution's case. Prosecutors said Britt killed his wife to cash in on life insurance. However, the defense said the state wants to twist his bottom line into a motive.

"They're going to use it to try to destroy him, and ultimately to kill him," said Bowen.