Arthur Morgan III didn’t have a care in the world when he tossed his daughter Tierra Morgan into the river.
The trial of Arthur Morgan is underway right in our backyard of Freehold Township, N.J.
Yesterday, jurors watched a video of Morgan calmly walking into a liquor store minutes after prosecutors say he murdered his 2 1/2 year old daughter Tierra-Morgan Glover. The video shows Morgan entering the store with his friend Jamar Bass buying a bottle.
Jurors also saw Tierra’s Dora the Explorer backpack and its contents, which detectives said they retrieved from a dumpster in Bass’ apartment complex, as well as Tierra’s LeapPad computer.
The video was shown on the second day of trial as prosecutor’s attempt to argue Arthur Morgan killed his daughter to get revenge on her mother Imani Benton. He was upset over the control she had over the daughter’s life.
Prosecutor’s say that Morgan planned ahead by pawning his jewelry and cashing his last check.
He then picked up his daughter in what Imani thought he was taking the child to see the movie “Happy Feet II’ but instead tossed he her into the Shark River at Shark River Park and left her there to die.
Prosecutors allege Morgan strapped Tierra in the car seat, tethered a metal car jack to it and tossed the contraption into the creek.
But Morgan’s lawyers argue he didn’t toss the girl for her to die, but to simply decide her fate.
Morgan’s lawyer, deputy assistant public defender, Ryan Moriarty, told the jury Wednesday that Morgan may have acted recklessly when he put Tierra in the creek at Shark River Park, but he did not necessarily intend for her to die. He said Morgan’s mind was clouded by worry over losing his job and a lack of sleep.
