A jury is now working to decide the fate of a Berks County man who was once one of America's most-wanted fugitives.
Deliberations in the Miguel Torres murder trial began shortly before 1:30 p.m. Monday in the Berks County Courthouse. The jury, which is being bused from York to Reading each day, got a late start because of the inclement weather.
Torres, formerly of Exeter Township, stands accused of shooting his estranged wife, Barbie Torres, to death as she left work in downtown Reading on Sept. 12, 2005.
Torres, officials said, then fled the country, first to the Dominican Republic and then to Italy, where he was captured in March 2013.
Torres took the stand Friday and testified in his own defense, telling the jury that a loan shark to whom he owed $38,000 is the one who killed his wife.
Torres is facing life in prison if he's convicted of first degree murder. Prosecutors could not seek the death penalty because of an extradition agreement with Italy.
Jurors from York County were selected for the trial because of the extensive publicity the case received in Berks.
The judge told each juror on Friday to pack an overnight bag in case wintry weather forced the jurors to stay in a hotel Monday night.
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