A television monitor in the courtroom Tuesday displayed Facebook messages from the account of Taquashon Ray and another man. The messages were exchanged late Nov. 7, 2018, the night prosecutors say Ray and co-defendant Shaiquon Sharpe killed Edward Morris, his child and the child’s mother in Youngstown. At left is Assistant Prosecutor Aaron Meikle. Staff photo / Ed Runyan

YOUNGSTOWN — Six days after detective Michael Lambert of the Youngstown Police Department began his testimony regarding locational data and other cellphone evidence possibly connected to a triple murder, Lambert completed his testimony Tuesday.

Lambert testified several hours in the aggravated murder trial of cousins Shaiquon Sharpe and Taquashon Ray, both 25. They are accused in the Nov. 7, 2018, shooting deaths of Edward Morris, 21; his 3-month-old son Tariq; and the baby’s mother, Valarcia Blair, 19.

The final witness testified late Tuesday, and defense attorneys told Judge Maureen Sweeney they would not be presenting any witnesses. It means closing arguments, jury deliberations and a possible verdict will take place today.

The trial was delayed two days last week by bad weather. Illness and legal issues also played a role in extending the trial into its third week.

Early Tuesday, Assistant Prosecutor Aaron Meikle walked Lambert through cellphone and Facebook messages and call logs the Youngstown Police Department obtained from several cellphone carriers. They obtained the records using search warrants.

During several hours of testimony, Meikle displayed Google Earth maps showing where the cellphone associated with Ray was located around the time of the killings.

The victims were shot fatally in a Saturn parked in the devil strip in front of 702 Pasadena Ave. on the South Side. A Ford was found in front of the Saturn after the shootings. Ray later admitted to being in the Ford at the time of the shootings, but did not admit to being part of the shootings

PHONE MOVEMENTS

Meikle displayed multiple Google Earth maps for the jury with markings on them — showing the area where the locational data from Ray’s phone said the phone had been the night of the killings.

One map showed a location on the East Side of Youngstown associated with a 5:33 p.m. Nov. 7, 2018, call from Ray’s phone. Lambert agreed that the location was consistent with testimony in the trial of Ray and his phone being at the Plaza View apartments on the East Side around that time.

Such tracking is possible because cellphone technology can identify the tower the phone used to make the call, the distance from the tower the phone was located and the “side” of the tower from which the call came, Lambert said.

Another Google Earth map showed the area where the data indicated a 6:28 p.m. call from Ray’s phone the night of the killings originated, Lambert said. It was near the area of 702 Pasadena, where the killings took place, he said. The shootings took place at 7:04 p.m., according to earlier court testimony.

A call from Ray’s phone at 7:07 p.m. the night of the killings shows the phone was just south of the house at 702 Pasadena, Lambert testified. The data indicated that Ray’s phone was moving north at 7:09 p.m. And at 7:23 p.m., the phone moved south, he said.

“That could indicate either back towards the house or moving southbound on South Avenue,” Lambert said. He agreed with Meikle that was consistent with earlier testimony that Ray walked or ran south toward a gas station.

At 8:34 p.m., the data indicates Ray’s phone was in the Brownlee Woods area of the city, he testified.

MESSAGING

Lambert later testified about Facebook message data he received. He said a post from a man’s name to Sharpe’s Facebook account about two hours after the killings says: “I see you (deleted) wasn’t playing.”

In reply, a message from Sharpe’s account says: “Ay, you got some gas? We’re down the street at auntie’s,” Lambert said, reading from documents. He clarified for Meikle that “gas” is another term for marijuana.

On Nov. 6 in the late afternoon, a message from Sharpe’s Facebook account tells someone: “I got a 10-band move,” Lambert said. “It means he’s got something to do that is going to make him $10,000,” Lambert testified.

On Nov. 4, 2018, a message from Ray’s Facebook account went to someone saying: “(Deleted) u still wanted Ed or naw.” The other person replied, “I ain’t think about that (deleted) I’m doing me bra if it comes down to it then hey.”

The reply from Ray’s account stated: “I know u wasn’t already know bra but I got him and his bro where I want em u kno.”

A little later, a message from Ray’s phone states to the other person to call Ray’s phone. “We can talk about it if you’re not busy bra but I can get it done ASAP.”

About 10 minutes after the shooting, a message from Ray’s phone was sent to the same person. It says “check and mate,” Lambert testified. A short time later, a message from Ray’s phone to the same person says: “job done,” Lambert testified.

In cross examination, Mark Lavelle, who represents Sharpe, asked Lambert if any statements in the messages indicate that Sharpe said he participated in the shootings, and Lambert said no.

In cross examination, Lou DeFabio, who represents Ray, asked Lambert if there is any scientific way to know who wrote the messages Lambert talked about, and Lambert said no.

Then DeFabio showed Lambert DeFabio’s phone and asked if someone could send texts or Facebook messages from DeFabio’s phone, and it would look as if DeFabio made them. Lambert agreed it would.

“If I had your Facebook password, I could log into your Facebook, right?” DeFabio asked. Lambert agreed.