Prosecution, defense in Mark Redwine trial make final arguments before case is handed to jury

LA PLATA COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) - Loved ones of 13-year-old Dylan Redwine have waited years for this moment.

Nearly nine years after Dylan disappeared, eight years after his remains were found, and four years after a suspect -- his father -- was arrested, the case is on the verge of being handed over to the jury.

The prosecution wrapped up its closing statements just before noon Thursday, giving the defense the final word before the jury deliberates Mark Redwine’s fate.

The case against Redwine has spent years in legal limbo, with multiple false starts including a pair of pandemic-related mistrials since Redwine’s arrest in Washington state in 2017.

The case experienced one final hiccup Thursday morning with the removal of one of the jurors, who court officials say was overheard discussing Redwine’s guilt. An alternate was moved to that juror’s spot, and closings were able to proceed as scheduled.

Watch a livestream of the closings here.

Dylan vanished from his father’s Durango-area home during a court-ordered visit in November 2012. Mark Redwine told law enforcement he ran errands on the morning of Nov. 19, 2012 and returned to an empty home four hours later. Hundreds of people assisted in search efforts in the weeks following -- efforts that were soon put on hold when winter arrived.

In June 2013, Dylan’s remains were found off Middle Mountain Road, a U.S. Forest Service road that winds through the San Juan National Forest, starting near Mark Redwine’s home in the Vallecito Lake area. The road is inaccessible during La Plata County’s snowy months.

From the start, Redwine maintained he was innocent, but law enforcement later said there were red flags based on “inconsistent statements” and his behavior during the investigation. He was officially named a person of interest in 2015 and formally charged in 2017. He has pleaded not guilty to charges second-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death.

Click here for key moments from the trial.

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