PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - Jurors began hearing testimony Monday in the murder trial of Anthony Pratt.
The New York man is accused of killing Rita Fisenko Scott in 2012. Her body was discovered two months after her death inside her vehicle parked outside a Portland motel.
The prosecutor told jurors that Pratt was engaged to Fisenko Scott, even though she was still married. He said Pratt assaulted her the day before she disappeared because he was upset she had gone to visit her husband. Pratt left Maine for New York around the same time Fisenko Scott disappeared. The prosecutor told jurors he never again inquired about the woman he was engaged to.
"This man, the defendant Anthony Pratt, shot Rita . He shot her with this gun that he obtained just weeks before the murder," Assistant Attorney General Donald Macomber told jurors.
At the time of her death, Fisenko Scott was a drug addict. She was staying in an apartment with Chris Jennings, an accused drug dealer, his wife, Tunile, and Anthony Pratt. After Finseko Scott was killed, the Jennings moved. The gun used to kill her was found in the Jennings new apartment. The defense suggested they were involved in her death.
"They found it hidden and testing later revealed that both Chris and Tunile Jennings' DNA is on the grip and trigger area of that gun. Anthony's DNA is not on that gun," said defense attorney Dylan Boyd.
The Jennings will be the key witnesses in the trial. The fate of Anthony Pratt could very well hinge on whether or not jurors believe their testimony.
