Closing arguments begin Tuesday in Tai Chan trial

Before the Tai Chan murder trial comes to a close, Jeremy Martin’s brother is addressing what he calls “crazy claims” he says he’s heard since his brother’s death.

Chan, a former Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputy is accused of shooting and killing Martin during an argument in 2014.

Chan’s last trial ended in a hung jury.

You may remember just weeks before the retrial began, Chan’s defense team said Martin had a “secret life”. They said the prosecution hid flirty text messages that Martin sent to other women and men.

In a blog post, Martin’s brother James Martin Sr. said, “The truth is Jeremy was a young man who liked taking selfies and sharing a bit of humor with friends.”

He went on to say, “He sent a few pictures from the gym to a female associate who shared a passion for fitness and a close family friend who happens to be gay. Frankly, it is nobody’s business.”

Martin went on to add that the same photos were sent to his brother’s wife, and there was no “secret life”.

You also may remember last year when the prosecution was ordered to preserve a white powdery substance found in Martin’s wallet as evidence.

James Martin Sr. says “Jeremy did not do drugs.” He said the white substance was aspirin but “of course, everyone was silent when an analyst clarified under oath that it was aspirin”.

Martin’s full blog post is here: https://mrjamesmartin.com/2017/05/13/legal-defense-system/

Chan’s defense team said they had no comment Monday.

But during testimony Friday , Chan told the jury Martin kicked and punched him during an argument. He said Martin grabbed a gun and pointed it at him. Chan says he shot at Martin in self defense.

Closing arguments begin Tuesday .