OKLAHOMA CITY -
An Oklahoma City man is on
trial for the murder of his girlfriend's 2-year-old son.
Rico Berry is accused of
shaking and slamming the boy down while he was babysitting him; all of this
while the baby's mother was at school.
That father was in the
courtroom for the first day of testimony and plans to be here when Berry takes
the stand in his defense.
1/30/2013
Related Story: Mother Of Toddler Abused, Killed In Edmond Testifies In Court
"Very
hard, very hard. I mean, it took a piece of me just to sit there knowing I am
in the same room with the man that took my son from me," said John Sloan.
Sloan is still in
mourning. He says he couldn't believe it when he heard his 2-year-old son Jolen
had been taken to the hospital. He says he had just spent time with him days
before. That was in October 2009.
"You know we had a good
time together. It was just the usual father-son day," Sloan said.
But he says something in
his heart told him something wasn't right. And then when he saw his son lying
in the hospital bed, it hit him.
"All I could do was look
at my son and just ask God to keep him and hold. I know he was with him," said
Sloan.
10/14/2009 Related Story: Edmond Man Suspected of Killing
Girlfriend's Toddler
Now, more than three years
later, Berry is on trial for Jolen's death. So far the jury has heard from the
baby's mother and a string of doctors and investigators, about how little Jolen
was found beaten, bruised and not breathing when he was taken to the hospital,
and how they found blood on the walls.
Jolen is buried at
Sunnylane Cemetery, and while his family is having to relive his death with
this trial, their heart weighs even heavier this week. That's because Jolen
would have turned six this Saturday.
"You know this world is
real evil and I knew then that he was too precious for this world, too precious,
so the Lord took him," Sloan said.
Berry is expected to take
the stand either Friday or Monday. He is charged one count of murder, as well
as one count of child neglect. Prosecutors are recommending life in prison
without parole.
Rico Berry
