Closing arguments were expected this afternoon in the trial of a Petal man charged with robbing a bank in Vicksburg on Jan. 30, 2008.

Kevin Dale McCain, 50, had been expected to testify on his behalf, but after the prosecution rested this morning, McCain’s attorney, Eugene Perrier of Vicksburg, said his client would not.

On opening day of the trial Monday, Mendenhall police officer Rita McNair testified McCain “had a lot of money on him” when he was stopped hours after Trustmark on Halls Ferry Road was robbed.

 “When we asked him about it, he said he was an electrician and really good at it,” McNair said.

During opening arguments, Perrier told jurors authorities charged the wrong person. Monday’s witnesses differed. Teller Cheryle Jenkins identified McCain as the man who handed her a note that morning demanding $20,000 in 100s, 50s and 20s “or all will die.”

“I felt scared for my life and for my co-workers,” Jenkins said. She said she turned away from her cage for a moment, but the robber called her back and told her to hurry up. She activated the silent alarm, she testified, and then pulled bills of different denominations from her cash drawer and handed them to him.

“I looked at him as much as possible because I knew I needed to have a good description of him,” Jenkins testified.

Trustmark security chief Doug Winstead testified about surveillance and security. A video of the holdup was shown to jurors, and still images made from the video were entered into evidence. Winstead said the robber got away with $2,157.

McNair testified she stopped McCain less than two hours after the robbery and later recognized him from photos released by Vicksburg police. McCain initially posted a cash bond of $1,450 and was released. His car was impounded and, when he went to retrieve it the next day, Mendenhall police took him into custody and he was transferred to Vicksburg. He was indicted in May 2008 and has been in Issaquena County Jail without bond since his arrest because he was already on federal probation. He was also implicated in a Jan. 25, 2008, bank robbery in Marshall, Texas, and an attempted bank robbery Jan. 28 in Bossier City, La.

In his opening statement, defense attorney Perrier said, “Simply put, this is a case of mistaken identity.” Perrier also raised questions in cross-examination of prosecution witnesses, calling into question their memories.

Judge Isadore Patrick is presiding. District Attorney Ricky Smith and assistant DA Lane Campbell are prosecutors.

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Contact Pamela Hitchins at phitchins@vicksburgpost.com