LIVE BLOG: Defendant's texts, Facebook messages introduced in Upatoi trial

COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) – Testimony continues in the Upatoi murder trial.

Thursday, the spotlight was on the defendant, Rufus Burks' phone, Facebook messages, texts, and anything else used to communicate.

Officers issued search warrants for all three suspects' phones Javarceay Tapley, Raheam Gibson and Rufus Burks less than a month after the murders.

Messages show Burks and Tapley allegedly communicated just days after the brutal murders in Upatoi.

Burks: call me

Tapley: Can't with family

Burks: Look at the news

Tapley: I did, nothing happened, forget everything bruh, no snitching... no telling them what we did. Straight up.

Burks: ok

Burks' phone also containing messages revealing attempts to trade video games and shoes.

The State previously established through law enforcement testimony a PlayStation 4 and several games were missing from Caleb Short's room following the murders.

"Mr. Burks was having correspondence with individuals in reference to trading stolen property from Bentley Drive. The particular items including NBA 2k16 and a PlayStation 4 game, were all in possession of Mr. Burks," said Sgt. Alan Malone, lead investigator for this case.

A forensic analyst also was brought in by the State to review evidence sent to the crime lab. Items included a single, black left-handed glove containing the DNA evidence of Rufus Burks.

"The primary DNA profile obtained from those swabs matches Rufus Burks," says Gretchen Weiss of the GBI crime lab.

According to attorneys, the trial is moving faster than expected.

The State will be calling only one more witness,  which is a medical examiner.

Court is in recess until that time.

Follow News Leader 9's Sharifa Jackson for updates.

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