Jury deliberating in hammer death trial

A DeKalb County jury will continue deliberations Saturday in the death penalty trial of Clayton Jerrod Ellington, accused of killing his wife and twin 2-year-old sons with a hammer.

The jurors deliberated about four hours Friday afternoon after hearing closing arguments earlier in the day. The trial began before Superior Court Judge Anne Workman on Monday, and jurors have been sequestered in a hotel since Sunday evening.

If the jury convicts Ellington of murder, it will hear additional testimony before deciding whether he should be executed.

The last death sentence in DeKalb was 19 years ago.

Ellington’s lawyer conceded to jurors Monday that Ellington killed his wife, but he claimed Ellington was enraged because his wife had killed their sons.

Prosecutors said Ellington murdered all three victims. They accused Ellington of planning the crime to fit false alibis.