Jury told 'LOL' meant girl didn't want Rengel killed

Defence attorneys told a Toronto jury on Monday that a teenaged girl was only "joking" when she pressured her boyfriend to kill 14-year-old Stefanie Rengel.

A lawyer for the teenaged suspect said during their closing arguments that the girl was clearly joking in a series of online chats she had with her boyfriend because she kept inserting LOL -- which means "laugh out loud" in Internet lingo -- in every conversation about the murder.

Defence lawyer Marshall Sack told the jury the girl's actions were nothing more than childish jokes.

Sack spoke to the jury for three hours but the defence is scheduled to wrap up their closing arguments Tuesday morning. Counsel for the accused chose not to present any evidence during the trial.

The jury is expected to begin deliberating Tuesday afternoon.

The Crown attorney wrapped up their closing arguments earlier in the afternoon. During an address to the jury, the prosecution pointed to the volumes of text messages and online chats between the accused and her boyfriend that was presented as evidence during the trial.

The chats are proof the accused harboured bitter jealousy and a strong hatred for Rengel since May 2007, prosecutor Robin Flumerfelt alleged.

Rengel was killed on New Year's Day 2008. The Crown is alleging that the accused relentlessly pressured her boyfriend to kill Rengel and threatened to withhold sex and break up with him if he didn't commit the murder. 

Both the 17-year-old accused and the 19-year-old man accused of killing the teen can't be named because they were both minors at the time the murder took place. The male suspect will be tried for first-degree murder later this year.

Flumerfelt described Rengel to the jury as the neighbourhood babysitter who "loved to live life" and who had a keen interest in the arts. A picture of Rengel's smiling face was shown to the jury.

According to CTV Toronto reporter Chris Eby, the accused sat in court with a blank expression on her face while closing arguments were underway. Her parents sat behind her.

Rengel's parents, both of whom are Toronto police officers, were also in court, listening intently to the Crown.

With a report from CTV Toronto's Chris Eby

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  Stefanie Rengel, 14, is seen in this Toronto Police handout photo.

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  A teen, who can only be identified as M.T., listens to the Crown's closing arguments to a jury who will decide whether she is guilty of first-degree murder.

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  These two teens, who can only be identified as M.T.(right) and D.B. (left) are both accused of murdering Stefanie Rengel. Their identities are protected because they were both minors when the murder took place.