The jury in the Dragan Sekulic trial will resume deliberations Friday morning.

CANTON During intense and often combative prosecution questioning, Dragan Sekulic admitted on the witness stand that he shot and killed his ex-wife and left her to die in the parking lot of the nursing facility where she worked.

The 38-year-old Sekulic, formerly of Massillon and Green, told jurors Thursday that he had planned to kill himself in front of Zeljka Sekulic on Dec. 9, but instead fired multiple bullets into her head and body. And, he said, that he was emotionally overwhelmed and infuriated after finding out that Zeljka had been intimate with a black man, something he said was unacceptable in Serbia.

Prosecutors have said the racial element greatly angered Sekulic.

VIDEO: "I never cheated with a black person" (Disclaimer: Video contains offensive language)

But the defendant didn't admit to trying to kill his ex-wife about two weeks earlier when he crashed his truck into her car outside the Astoria nursing and rehabilitative facility in the Meyers Lake area. In closing arguments, the defense asked jurors to find Sekulic guilty of the lesser charge of murder instead of aggravated murder for the Dec. 9 shooting. Stark County Public Defender Tammi Johnson also contended that prosecutors had not proven that Sekulic committed attempted murder during the car crash that left Zeljka with a concussion.

A six male, six female jury met briefly Thursday afternoon before deciding to return at 9 a.m. Friday to resume deliberations. Stark County Common Pleas Judge Kristin Farmer is hearing the case.

"He went there to kill himself, and that's not what ended up happening," Johnson said during closing arguments Thursday. "And nobody in the world is saying (Zeljka) deserved to die."

"We are not disputing that (Dragan) committed certain acts ... but the question is what crime was committed," she said.

Dennis Barr, an assistant Stark County prosecutor, refuted the defense position during closing arguments: "This was a planned act carried out by a man who wanted to kill his ex-wife."

Sekulic stalked her, Barr said. "You heard his own words. We have his DNA ... we have his fingerprints (on the murder weapon) ... and we have his own admission."

Brandishing the murder weapon in front of the jury, the assistant prosecutor raised his voice for emphasis. He said that Sekulic could have killed himself. One bullet was left in the gun after firing multiple shots at Zeljka, including three in her head, the assistant prosecutor said.

Earlier Thursday, the courtroom atmosphere was tense as Sekulic took the stand for more than 45 minutes, the lone defense witness. Asked why he killed his wife, Sekulic told Johnson that he didn't know, explaining that he had been overwhelmed with emotion. He also testified that he had blacked out for portions of the fatal shooting.

Barr was relentless in his questioning, pacing back and forth between a lectern and where Sekulic was seated. He often raised his voice and appeared visibly angered by some of the defendant's responses concerning the shooting death of Zeljka.

Questions covered varying aspects of the case but mostly focused on the events of Nov. 24 and Dec. 9.

Sekulic is charged with aggravated murder in the Dec. 9 shooting and attempted murder and felonious assault stemming from what Barr called a car-ramming. Sekulic previously rejected a plea offer that would have included life in prison without a chance of parole and an additional 17-year prison term.

From the stand

Much of the testimony focused on Zeljka's relationship with a coworker. Dragan was enraged because the man was black, his motive for killing his 37-year-old ex-wife, according to prosecutors.

Sekulic testified that on Nov. 22 he had discovered the relationship when reading about 12 months worth of text messages between Zeljka and the coworker. Sekulic's brother and a friend previously testified that the defendant told them he discovered the text messages about a week earlier.

Barr said the timing was important because it proved Sekulic's calculation and intent to kill Zeljka, both when he rammed her car and when he fatally shot her; the evidence supports the more serious charge of aggravated murder as well as the attempted murder count, he said.

Sekulic said he had asked one of his two children to retrieve Zeljka's cellphone; he said it had been on a shared plan when they were married. He said he read every text message and Facebook-related information shared between Zeljka and the coworker.

Prosecutors have said the relationship didn't progress to intimacy until after Zeljka and Dragan had separated. The couple decided to divorce in December 2014 before it was finalized in August 2015, Johnson said. The couple had married in 2001.

On the stand, Sekulic was adamant that Zeljka had been unfaithful. Barr said there was no evidence to support that portion of his testimony. The text messages affirmed his earlier suspicions, Sekulic said, and caused him to nearly pass out.

Heated exchange

Barr fired question after question at Sekulic.

"When did you start cheating on (Zeljka)?" the assistant prosecutor said loudly, repeating the question.

"She was aware of every issue we had in our marriage," Sekulic answered flatly.

Pointing a finger at Sekulic from across the courtroom, Barr repeated the question, demanding a more specific answer.

Sekulic conceded that he had been unfaithful early in their marriage. Barr cited a letter, apparently written by Sekulic to his brother, as evidence of the defendant's infidelity.

Barr came back with more pointed questions, reading the defendant's own words from the letter.

"She slept with a black man!" the defendant blurted. "... You don't do that in the Serbian community!"

Barr's voice spiked louder. "This is the United States." Countered Sekulic, appearing to grow agitated: "I don't care..."

Other questions centered on Nov. 24. Witnesses said that Sekulic followed Zeljka to her workplace, ramming his truck into her car, forcing it off the road until the vehicle flipped and left her hanging upside down. Canton Township firefighters rescued Zeljka from the car, according to testimony Thursday morning.

Earlier Thursday, jurors had listened to a 911 call placed by Zeljka. She cried and screamed and pleaded for help. Zeljka says on the recording that she feared for her life and that her ex-husband had a gun. "Oh, my God!" she repeats.

Sekulic testified that he didn't intend on killing her on Nov. 24. He said he wanted to talk with his ex-wife about issues involving their children. Sekulic said he only hit her car once, describing it as a rear-end collision. Barr said that witness testimony from those who saw the chase and ramming described it as being far more serious.

In another line of aggressive questioning, Barr inferred that Sekulic was intentionally downplaying the severity of the car-ramming incident. He said that Sekulic had already read jury instructions pertaining to prior calculation and design and the attempted murder charge.

Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 or ed.balint@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @ebalintREP