Judge Donald Stephens ruled Friday that Matthew Grant's confession that he killed Deputy Mark Tucker is admissible in trial. At the time of the shooting, Grant was on probation and was not supposed to have a gun.
In his confession letter to authorities, he said he had "no intention of using a gun on another person." He said Tucker told him to "put the gun down." Grant felt if he did, "[his] life would be over."
Grant also wrote a letter to his parents, telling them, "I fully deserve everything that is coming to me" and he hopes someday they'll be able to forgive him.
After the hearing, Tucker's family said the confession letter and a letter Grant wrote to his parents will have a definite impact on jurors.
"It was very well-written. It felt like it was from the heart," said Dan Tucker, Mark Tucker's brother. "I had a little bit of compassion for him after I read it, but I had to step back and say what did the guy really do and think about that again before I let it get to my heart."
Stephens also said Grant was legally arrested and that the search of his Apex home was legal. District Attorney Colon Willoughby said the judge's ruling helps an already strong case.
"It certainly will give the jury a better opportunity to determine what the truth is," he said.
Grant is currently at Dorothea Dix Hospital undergoing a mental evaluation. His attorneys indicated they may seek a diminished capacity defense.
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