Tyrone Washington Jr. brutally attacked Justina Smith on Aug. 5, 2013, Assistant Iowa Attorney General Laura Roan said Monday during closing arguments in Washington’s first-degree murder trial.

Roan argued that Washington didn’t stab Smith in self-defense.

“He plunged the knife into her,” Roan said. “He fled at a high rate of speed toward his home state of Illinois. She was brutally attacked by the defendant with the specific intent to kill.”

Attorney Charles Kenville argued the state’s case wasn’t built on solid ground.

“This case has been built by the state through the shifting sands of assumption,” Attorney Charles Kenville said. “The case will be swept away by the flood of reasonable doubt.”

Kenville said the state was practicing confirmation bias by confirming evidence they wanted to be true. He said Washington was looked at as the bad guy by law enforcement stemming from his domestic assault arrest on July 6, 2013, and his arrest for violating a no-contact order on Aug. 1, 2013.

“As a jury, you have to base your decision on evidence and facts,” Kenville said. “If my client was so intent on doing her harm, why didn’t he do it on the night of Aug. 4, 2013?”

Washington was inside an apartment he previously had lived with Smith at on the night of Aug. 4, 2013. After a brief argument, Washington fled her apartment.

Kenville argued Washington was acting in self-defense when he stabbed Smith twelve times.

“The state’s explanation makes no sense,” Kenville said. “The relationship between Smith and Washington lasted only a couple months.”

Roan argued a tape shown in court supported the state’s case.

“You heard the fear and desperation in Tyrone Jones’ voice,” Roan said. “Does that sound like a planned, two-on one-ambush?”

Jones traveled with Smith to Swensrud Park in Northwood on Aug. 5, 2013, to get keys and money from Washington, Jones testified last Thursday.

“Consider all of the evidence,” Roan said. “The defendant’s testimony doesn’t match up with the physical evidence. The defendant acted with malice and forethought. The defendant wasn’t justified. This was an intentional murder, in plain sight.

“He had a specific intent to kill Justina Smith. He fled in a car, because he knew what he wanted to do, did it, then got out of town. Nothing supports that this was an accident.

“Every time he plunged the knife into her, he had the intent to kill her.”

Jury deliberation began Monday. Jurors were dismissed for the day Monday at approximately 5 p.m. Deliberation was set to continue Tuesday at 9 a.m.

Recordings of both Smith’s and Jones’ 911 calls were played in court Monday.

Chris Callaway, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation special agent, was called to the stand to provide rebuttal testimony, prior to closing arguments.

Audio recordings were collected from a phone call Washington made from the Scott County jail to Angelina Hamilton, an ex-girlfriend and someone he was staying with.

A clip of a recording was played in court Monday. In it, Washington could be heard saying he was worried that if he returned to Worth County, he might commit another murder.

The jury’s options include first-degree murder, second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter by public offense and involuntary manslaughter by reckless conduct.

The trial was scheduled to be held in Worth County, but got moved due to a lack of African-Americans in Worth county. Washington is African American.

The trial began last week. Washington testified last Friday.