Watch live: Verdicts reached in Aiden McClendon murder trial

WATCH LIVE: Aiden McClendon trial 
FOLLOW: Russell Colburn's live tweets from the courtroom 
PHOTO GALLERY: Aiden McClendon trial, Day 2

Mobile Users Click Here

7/3/18 4:50 p.m. UPDATE:

The jury has reached a verdict  for both men accused of killing 22-month-old Aiden McClendon.

Kquame Richardson, 19, found guilty of first-degree murder and other charges by the jury.

Henry Hayes, 19, was also found guilty of first-degree murder and other charges for the murder of Aiden McClendon.

7/3/18 Tuesday notes:

A verdict was reached Tuesday morning in the murder trial of Aiden McClendon.

The judge interrupted the state's closing argument in suspect, Kquame Richardson's case, to announce that the jury has reached a verdict in the other suspect, Henry Hayes' case.

Court then went on a brief recess before returning. The state then resumed closing arguments in Richardson's case.

Verdicts for both suspects will be read together and likely will happen today.

The two are on trial for the 2016 murder of Jacksonville toddler, Aiden McClendon.

McClendon was caught between gang gunfire and was the unintended target when he was shot and killed in January of 2016.

Hayes and Richardson were members of the Problem Child Entertainment Gang and were allegedly targeting Aiden's cousin, a  member of the 187 gang.

Even though Aiden wasn't the intended target, state said it is still premeditated first degree murder in the eyes of the law because the two men intended to kill that day.

Action News Jax Russell Colburn is following this trial and will tweet updates online. Watch Action News Jax at 5 for very latest.

Last week recap below:

Prosecutors say several shell casings were found inside the car the shooters were in when 22-month-old Aiden McClendon was gunned down in 2016.

Four casings even made it to the hood area.

The morning session of the trial on Tuesday was dominated by testimony from two JSO employees.

One is a gang task force Sergeant named Douglas Howell who helped Prosecutor London Kite show the jury the members and territory of the 187 gang.

Howell called 187 an entertainment group within the 1200 block gang, but says they are also a gang.

The prosecution contends the suspects, Henry Hayes and Kquame Richardson, were members of Problem Child Entertainment, which they say had been having problems with 187.

That’s what led to the shooting, prosecutors said.

The state said Hayes and Richardson were targeting one of Aiden McClendon’s family members when the little boy was shot and killed in his car seat.

The jury was shown a video of an earlier drive-by shooting at a popular 187 hangout near where Aiden was shot.

JSO used a camera to keep an eye on the gang’s activity.

Below is a recap of what happened in the first day of court.

Aiden McClendon murder trial: Day 1

Day 1 in the murder trial of a local toddler old packed in emotional testimony at the Duval County Courthouse Tuesday.

The mother of 22-month-old Aiden McClendon took the stand as a witness for the state.

She was driving the car when her son was shot and killed in January 2016.

“I was screaming, ‘They shot my baby!” Tomeshia Brown said.  “I didn’t know that he was- I just saw like a graze on the top of his head, so I didn’t know that he was, like, actually shot. He was just lying there.”

The state called at least nine witnesses Tuesday.

One of them was McClendon’s great-grandmother, Mary Thomas, who was sitting next to Aiden in the car.

“Was Aiden crying?” the prosecutor asked her.

“No,” she replied.

“Was he conscious?” the prosecutor asked.

“I don’t think so,” she said.  “I thought he was in shock, and I kept patting his face, telling him that everything would be alright.”

Prosecutors said Henry Hayes and Kquame Richardson- who are both now 19-years-old- were trying to target one of Aiden’s family members from a rival gang.

Witnesses reported hearing more than a dozen shots.

Haye’s defense tried to chip away at Tomeshia Brown’s recollection of his client.

“In the early morning hours, you did not describe his hair to detectives, is that correct?” attorney James Hernandez asked.

“Well, I didn’t know it was hair, so I couldn’t have described it,” Brown replied.  “I didn’t know that.”

Hayes and Richardson are being tried together, but two separate juries will determine their fate.

They’re facing charges for murder, attempted murder and gang-related charges.

Note: Tuesday was Day 1 in the murder trial of 22-month-old Aiden McClendon, who was shot while riding in a car in January 2016.

Kquame Richardson, 19, of Jacksonville Beach, is charged with murder in the second degree and two counts of attempted murder in the first degree.

Henry Lee Hayes, 19, an alleged member of the Problem Child Entertainment gang, was charged with Aiden's murder after he allegedly opened fire on a car that had the toddler and two of his family members inside.

Prosecutors say Aiden was caught in the middle of gang crossfire.

Aiden's great-grandmother took the stand and testified that she screamed, "Someone shot my baby! Someone shot my baby!" (Click here to watch her 21-minute testimony)

The state said all she could do was drive and was powerless to save him.

Cox Media Group