Closing Arguments In Matthew Durham Trial Set For Thursday

The federal courtroom was packed and all eyes were on Durham as he testified about what he remembered about his time at the Kenyan orphanage. He also testified about a demon named Luke that he said would whisper in his ear and tell him to touch the children.

During his seven hours on the stand, Matthew Durham stayed calm and collected, as he repeatedly denied molesting any of the children he had contact with at the Upendo Children's home in Kenya. This, despite one volunteer's testimony that said children had come forward saying Durham had pulled them from their beds at night and raped them.

Durham said evidence collected in a written confession he gave was "not true" and "it never happened". But he claims he was told he would not be allowed to return home unless he confessed to the crime.

Prosecutors presented a handwritten notebook to Durham, which he admitted was indeed his handwriting, and which he acknowledged did contain a compiled list of all the histories of the children he had contact with at the orphanage.

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Federal prosecutors also showed the jury of eight men and six women a video taken by phone in Kenya by the orphanage director where Durham is seen saying, "I know what I did, I know what I did, I need help". In the video, he is also seen saying "I've told you I struggled with this my whole life."

He said, "All I remember are the bad dreams, I just thought it was Malaria."

Durham's attorney Stephen Jones objected several times to the prosecutions line of questioning. But Durham held firm that despite all the evidence and testimony to the contrary, he did not sexually abuse any children saying "all of them are wrong".

On redirect, Durham's attorney Stephen Jones played a video with one of the little boys at the orphanage. With the help of a translator the boy said he did not go into the bathroom, and said he was not telling the truth when he said he did go in the bathroom with Durham. When asked if Durham ever got in trouble, the boy said no. When asked if he had ever been asked to keep a secret, he said no again.

While the judge was talking with the lead attorneys from both sides, Durham could be seen passing messages on yellow post-it notes to a member of his legal team. Both his mother and father, were not far away, sitting in the first row of seats surrounded by friends and family. On the other side were members of the church and mission team who helped organize the trips to help the Upendo orphanage.

Testimony is set to continue Thursday morning at 9 a.m. Both jury instructions and closing arguments are set to begin then. And then it will be up to the jury to decide if Durham is indeed guilty or not guilty of the sex crimes against him.