Former Classmates Take The Stand In Trial Of Man Accused Of Murdering Commissioner Father
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Two former classmates of Jason Beckman testified Friday saying Jason had expressed hatred toward his father years before he allegedly shot him to death.
Jason Beckman was arrested for allegedly killing his father, South Miami Commissioner Jay Beckman in 2009.
The former classmates also testified that Jason kept a list of the people who crossed him.
Jennifer Kaiser, a former classmate, told jurors that in the 8th grade she saw him bring gun magazines to school and once told her that she was on his list.
"I was in shock," she told jurors.
Armando Torres, a former classmate of Beckman, also testified that he heard him say, on multiple occasions, that he wanted to kill his father.
"Sometimes he would direct those [comments] to me and sometimes to other people," Torres said. "He didn't like him very much, hateful, I would say."
However, members of the jury will not hear testimony about Beckman's Aspergers, a form of autism. The judge won't permit it and the defense lost a mistrial motion Thursday as Judge Rodney Smith refused to allow testimony about the defendant's mental deficiency.
The state will not show jurors Beckman's taped statement to police because it does not support their theory of a planned murder, and clearly reveals the odd vocal tones and speech patterns associated with the defendant's Asperger's syndrome.
Earlier on Thursday, the state's star witness took the stand.
Lisa Syren, a childhood friend of Beckman, said on the stand that Beckman said he wanted his dad dead "too many times to count."
Miami-Dade Police said Beckman, 17 at the time, used a shotgun to shoot and kill Jay Beckman.
"CBS4 News Intern Alessandra Raffa contributed to this report."
