James King and Steve Harmon are both on trial for the felony murder of Aguinaldo Nesbitt, who was a Harlem drugstore owner. The prosecuting attorney, Sandra Petrocelli, is pushing for the death penalty. Two convicted criminals named Richard "Bobo" Evans and Osvaldo Cruz testify that they both participated in the planned robbery alongside James King and Steve Harmon. Both criminals agree to testify in exchange for shorter sentences and accuse Steve Harmon of being the group's lookout during the robbery. According to Bobo, Steve Harmon's job was to enter the drugstore before the robbery and make sure that the coast was clear. Cruz's job was to prevent anyone from following them outside of the store after the robbery took place. Bobo also testifies that James King killed Nesbitt on accident during the robbery when Nesbitt pulled a gun. Walter Dean Myers purposely makes Steve's participation in the crime ambiguous and leaves the reader to contemplate his innocence. Towards the end of the novel, James King is convicted of felony murder and Steve Harmon is acquitted.
Walter Dean Myers' novel Monster tells the story of Steve Harmon and James King as they stand trial for felony murder. Sixteen-year-old Harmon is tried along with twenty-three-year-old King for the death of Alguinaldo Nesbitt, the owner of a drugstore. According to the prosecution, King is accused of completing the robbery and murder while Harmon was allegedly acting as the lookout.
Osvaldo Cruz and Richard "Bobo" Evans both admit to participating in the crime but are not on trial, as they have turned state's witness in exchange for less harsh sentencing. According to the testimony provided by Bobo, King wrestled with Mr. Nesbitt, who had pulled a gun, and during the scuffle, the gun discharged, killing Mr. Nesbitt. He further testifies that Harmon was tasked with checking the store for potential witnesses before the crime went down and acted as a lookout during the robbery.
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