A Lancaster County jury is deliberating the fate of a Kennett Square man charged with killing his girlfriend last year in a Millersville University dormitory.
Gregorio Orrostieta, 20, is accused of strangling and beating to death 18-year-old Karli Hall during a Feb. 8, 2015 dispute inside Bard Hall dormitory.
The jury listened to more than seven days of testimony before starting deliberations Monday just after 2 p.m.
Attorneys gave closing arguments Monday morning before County Judge Donald Totaro instructed the panel on the law to be applied during deliberations.
Assistant District Attorneys Susan Ellison and Christopher Sarno are seeking a first-degree murder conviction.
They presented evidence and called witnesses to indicate Orrostieta beat and strangled Hall to death, then watched music videos and browsed social media, before calling 9-1-1.
Prosecutors rested their case Thursday, with the final witness being Millersville University police Chief Pete Anders.
Other witnesses included:
- A forensic pathologist who performed Hall’s autopsy and testified she was beaten numerous times in numerous areas and strangled, likely by bare hands.
- MU students, who testified to hearing noises and sounds of a struggle coming from Hall’s dorm room around the time of her death.
- Acquaintances of the couple who testified to their tumultuous relationship.
- A detective who analyzed Orrostieta’s cellphone and found he watched hip-hop videos and browsed Hall’s Facebook page prior to calling 9-1-1.
Orrostieta’s defense team starting calling witnesses Thursday afternoon. Prosecutors then called rebuttal witnesses into Monday.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright