ITHACA — As jury selection continues today in the murder trial of Nagee Green, Tompkins County’s District Attorney says he’s confident in the case against Green.
Green is charged with assault, manslaughter, and murder in the stabbing death of Ithaca College student Anthony Nazaire last year, but has pleaded not guilty to the crime after allegedly confessing to police. Green’s defense team has since argued the confession was coerced with rough police tactics and shouldn’t be admissible in court.
DA Matt Van Houten says it’s a serious case, and his office plans to treat it like one.
“The top charge is murder in the second degree, with a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison,” he said. “Obviously it’s up to the jury, but we will vigorously and zealously present the evidence that we have and hope that the jury does what we ask them to do.”
Van Houten says the idea some have floated that the confession was coerced just isn’t true.
“The only people who have raised that concern are the people who are paid to do so, specifically the defense team, because it’s their job to challenge the evidence,” he said. “So it’s really something you’d expect them to do.”
Green’s trial is set to start next week.
