McLean County Assistant State's Attorney Adam Ghrist talks to the jury during the murder trial of Nicholas Compton. (Pool photo)

By Joe Ragusa

BLOOMINGTON – Jury deliberations have started in the murder trial of Nicholas Compton. Closing arguments were held Thursday.

Assistant State's Attorney Adam Ghrist said Compton kicked three-year-old Robbie Cramer in the back, leading to his death in March 2013.

"The defendant committed the offense of first-degree murder, and it was accompanied exceptionally brutal or heinous behavior, indicative of cruelty," Ghrist said. "And to describe brutal, that means cruel, and cold-blooded, grossly ruthless or devoid of mercy or compassion. In what way could kicking a three-year-old otherwise be described?"

Defense attorney Ron Lewis argued the prosecution's evidence was pure speculation, and Cramer's injuries could have happened in a variety of ways, including a fall in the tub or roughhousing with other children.

"This charge, this incident was an accident, not a criminal act," Lewis said.

Compton lived with Cramer and the child's mother, Danielle Fischer, at the time of Cramer's death. Ghrist painted Compton as a man who was unemployed and stressed when all-of-a-sudden, he had to start taking care of a toddler 12 hours-a-day while Fischer was at work.

"Staying up late, drinking as late as he wanted to. He didn't have responsibilities the next day, he didn't have to wake up the next day until noon," Ghrist said of Compton's lifestyle. "And what we know is even after Robbie moved in, that continued."

Compton started dating Fischer in Nov. 2012, before Fischer and Cramer's father broke up. Fischer and Cramer moved in with Compton in late Feb. 2013.

Cramer died on March 26, 2013 of a blood infection caused by tissue damage that Dr. Scott Denton, the forensic pathologist who conducted the autopsy, said was due to a blow to Cramer's back.

Joe Ragusa can be reached at [email protected].