TULSA -- The prosecution has rested in the trial of Michael Bever, who is accused of murdering five family members in Broken Arrow in 2015.
The defense for Bever will now take the stand in the trial. Bever's brother, Robert, is already serving five life sentences in connection with the killings.
On Thursday jurors witnessed the police tape of the 19-year-old speaking with officers on that July 2015 evening, admitting to stabbing multiple members of his family, with plans to kill dozens more.
As officers walked through the events, Michael said his brother Robert wanted to start with killing the entire family for a high body count.
Bever told officers he brought their 13-year-old sister to the computer where Robert stabbed her, and then admitted the brothers stabbed their mother together when she came downstairs as their sisters tried to get away.
Michael said his 12-year-old brother tried to lock himself in the office, and the seven-year-old brother in the bathroom. Bever told police on both occasions he begged them to open the door. Ultimately he confessed Robert stabbed the 12-year-old, and they stabbed the seven-year-old together.
"There's no doubt as to what his role was and what he did within the house," Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said.
On multiple occasions on the tape Michael also made comments about Robert saying "he said he would kill me too" and "I didn't like it the minute it started." He confessed to being scared when the violence began, running out of the room more than once.
"The thing that touched me in that recording is they were trying to get him to say "you wanted to be famous, right?" And he said "well Robert did, I just wanted my learner's permit," Chief Public Defender Corbin Brewster said.
Michael said if they had gotten away they planned to go to Washington state, shooting people with guns Robert ordered at random gas stations, five at a time.
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