DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — Jurors reached for tissues Monday morning as they heard about the life of Courtney Wilkes and all that the Lyons, Ga., girl hoped to achieve before her life was cut short.
Family members of Courtney, who was killed June 16, 2011, and her convicted killer, 23-year-old Steven Cozzie took the stand in court during the first day of the death penalty phase of Cozzie’s trial.
“A third of my heart has been ripped out,” said Toni Wilkes, Courtney’s mother, as tears streamed down her face.
“She was going to do something to change the world. She was going to make it better. … I’ll never be the same. My world will never be the same.”
Cozzie was convicted Friday of the first-degree murder of Courtney. Now, the jurors will hear testimony and recommend whether Cozzie should receive the death sentence or life without parole. Circuit Judge Kelvin Wells will make the ultimate decision.
Assistant State Attorney Bobby Elmore started the morning off with Wilkes’ parents and her godfather testifying on the bright young girl who was found strangled, raped and beaten to death two years ago.
“She was the first one in our family plot. That wasn’t supposed to happen,” said Courtney’s father, Cordy Wilkes, his voice cracking.
“I remember when she left (with Cozzie) and didn’t return. After a period of time, we came to the realization that she wouldn’t be back. If she could have come back, she would have.”
After a morning of tears, the courtroom reconvened to hear from Cozzie’s family about his past, mental health and the stress he was under at the time of Courtney’s death.
“This is tragic for Courtney Wilkes’ family, but it’s also tragic for Stephen Cozzie’s family,” said Sharon Wilson, defense attorney for Cozzie. “They’ve been separated by bars and glass walls for two years and that will be the case for the rest of his life no matter what you decide.”
Cozzie’s half-brother, Jeffery Pedersen, and half-sister, Gwen Schmidt, testified that Cozzie was “slow” all of his life.
“He was book smart but not street smart,” Pedersen said. “He was very immature, always hanging out with younger kids.”
Pedersen added that he was the only family member to keep in contact with Cozzie after he was kicked out of the home of his mother, Melody Ellis, just two weeks before Courtney’s death.
“He had been living on some boardwalk (and) at the pool house at Cassine Gardens and he kept his stuff on an empty cul-de-sac on Robert Ellis Road,” Pedersen said.
His sister added to that testimony, stating that Cozzie didn’t appear to suffer from mental disability, but he was not on the same level as his peers.
“He’s 23 now, but I think mentally he’s 17 or 18,” Schmidt said.
His mother, Melody Ellis, said Cozzie was the son of a violent man. She testified that at the age of 4 he was taken away from her by his father until he was 16. During that time, Cozzie told his family he lived in abusive circumstances.
“I was choked, hit. His father raped me once,” Ellis said. “I don’t know if Steven saw that or not. (Steven’s father) used to use Steven as a pawn and he would hurt Steven and blame my ex-husband. … But Steven stayed somewhat on track in school where he was in special education classes, but he was always somewhat slow.”
Court will reconvene at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at the DeFuniak Springs Courthouse for further testimony. Wells said he expects the proceedings to go on until at least Wednesday evening.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Angel McCurdy at 850-315-4432 or amccurdy@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AngelMnwfdn.
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Murdered girl’s family testifies in Cozzie’s penalty phase
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