Camuti Jury Continues Deliberations in Cyanide Murder Case

WOBURN, MA -- The jury in the William J. Camuti murder trial will head into its third day of deliberations on Wednesday to decide if the 69-year-old Sudbury man spiked his friend's iced coffee with cyanide to kill him over a $100,000 debt Camuti couldn't pay.

After a 10-day trial and deliberations that began Monday afternoon, the Middlesex Superior Court jury must decide if Camuti is guilty of first-degree murder in the poisoning death of his friend of 30 years and business partner, Stephen Rakes,South Boston, in July of 2013.

Rakes' body was found on the afternoon of July 17, 2013 by a jogger in a wooded area off Mill Street in Lincoln. An autopsy showed Rakes died of acute cyanide toxicity and the manner of death was homicide.

.During the investigation into Rakes' murder Lynch said investigators compiled strong circumstantial evidence including: GPS records; Rakes' secret phone records with Camuti; computer records that showed Camuti searched for death by cyanide poisoning; another computer record inquiring about buying cyanide; and Camuti's own confession.

But defense attorney Brad Bailey stressed to jurors that police have "zero eyewitnesses and zero trace evidence'' that links Camuti to Rakes' murder.

Bailey argued that it didn't make sense for Camuti to kill his long-time business partner since Rakes was Camuti's "meal ticket.'' Bailey told the jury that Rakes was Camuti's "only way to get back on his feet (financially).''

But prosecutor Adrienne Lynch argued that shortly before his murder, Rakes knew that Camuti had lied to him about a business deal and had demanded the $100,000 Camuti owed him.

"It became clear to him (Camuti) that Rakes was no longer his personal money store,'' Lynch said.

Camuti is on trial for first-degree murder, improper disposal of a body and two counts of intimidate police officials. If convicted he faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole.