WAKE COUNTY, N.C. – The trial is underway for a man accused of murdering three of his neighbors in Wake Forest.

  • Jonathan Sander is accused of murdering three members of the Mazzella family in 2016.
  • The murders happened after the Mazzellas accused Sander of molesting a juvenile member of their family. 
  • Sander lashed out at the father and husband of the victims in court on Tuesday.

Jonathan Sander, 52, faces three counts of first-degree murder following a shooting spree that left three members of the Mazzella family dead on Clear Springs Drive in 2016.

 

 

Officials say Sander and the Mazzellas were friends and business partners until 2015 when he was accused of molesting a juvenile member of the family.

The family went to court to obtain a restraining order against Sander in March of 2016, and the next day Sandy Mazzella, 47, his wife Stephanie, 43, and mother Elaine, 76, were gunned down in their home.

Police say Sander confessed to the murders in 2016, but now denies having committed them.

Dash cam video took center stage in court Wednesday. Prosecutors called on the jurors to pay close attention to the audio in the video when law enforcement tried to get Sander out of his home. A police officer said Sander had blood on his hands when he was arrested.

The trial will continue into the week.

If found guilty, Sander could face the death penalty.

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