DURHAM -- A Durham jury will start to deliberate Wednesday as to whether a father was sleepwalking when he killed his 4-year-old son.

Joseph Mitchell is charged with first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder. Authorities charge that he suffocated Blake in September 2010 and tried to do the same on his two older children who were able to fight back.

Closing arguments were held Tuesday afternoon. Defense Attorney Jay Ferguson started off saying his client loved his family.

"You heard him talk about Christine, the deep love he has for his wife. The deep love he has for his children."

The defense pointed out Mitchell was under financial stress. That stress led him to sleep walk. Ferguson said neither evil intent nor premeditation were behind his actions.

"That stress, that sleep deprivation caused by the stress of the financial havoc that the family was in is a trigger for a parasomnia event. That would be looking at the evidence with an eye for acquittal."

The defense also pointed out that the prosecution failed to prove Mitchell was in his right mind when he killed Blake. Prosecutors said that same financial pressure didn't lead Mitchell to sleepwalk but to seek out to kill his children.

"Nothing makes it understandable. Sleepwalking doesn't make it understandable or doesn't answer the question why," said Durham County District Attorney Roger Echols.

The jury will consider first-degree murder, second-degree murder or not guilty in Blake's death. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty.