Baton Rouge accused murderer cleared by EBRP jury after representing himself in court.

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BATON ROUGE - A man standing trial for murder was cleared by a jury after he refused a public defender and chose to instead represent himself in court.

Court records show Demond Mack, 47, was found not guilty by a jury Thursday evening, just four days after his trial began Feb. 27. East Baton Rouge jail officials told WBRZ that Mack was released from custody sometime Friday.

Mack, who was arrested in December 2018, faced charges of second-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon in the killing of Billy Harrington. Records said the two were roommates at the N. Sherwood Forest Boulevard apartment where Harrington was shot and that the two had gotten into an argument days earlier.

Arrest documents cited eyewitness accounts saying that Mack went into the apartment and demanded money for rent before repeatedly shooting Harrington.

According to The Advocate, Mack claimed he never shot Harrington but admitted to running away after learning he was a suspect in the killing. Despite at least two witnesses linking Mack to the killing, he told jurors that he was not home when the shooting happened and that there was no evidence proving he killed Harrington.

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