The defense team for an N.C . State alum on trial for the 2006 murder of his wife rested its case Wednesday after three days of testimony.

Jason Young, the 37 year-old N.C . State graduate who is accused of first-degree murder, is in the final stages of his current retrial.

Young’s first trial in June 2011 was declared a mistrial by a Superior Court judge after jurors were deadlocked and could not reach a unanimous decision.

On Nov. 3, 2006, 29-year-old Michelle Young—also a graduate of N.C . State—was found beaten to death in her Raleigh home. She was five months pregnant. Young’s two-year-old daughter Cassidy was found unharmed by her side that morning.

For three years local investigators worked on the case—following leads, collecting evidence, and developing theories about what happened the night Young was murdered.

Jason Young became the primary suspect in his wife’s murder after detectives and investigators from the City County Bureau of Investigation ( CCBI ) began connecting pieces of evidence and finding gaps in his original story.

According to archived WRAL coverage of the case, investigators began filing various search warrants for Young’s email accounts and phone records—among other things—after he refused to answer investigators’ questions or cooperate with the investigation.

Young was officially charged with first-degree murder in Dec. 2009.

This time around, prosecutors introduced new evidence, testimony, and witnesses in the state’s case against Young, according to WRAL’s crime reporter Amanda Lamb.

On Feb. 6, the prosecution began the first day of its 15-day testimony against Young. Witnesses for the prosecution included Meredith Fisher- Michelle Young’s sister, convenience store worker Gracie Calhoun, and women who had been involved in extramarital affairs with Young.

According to news reports, the prosecution painted a picture of an unhappy marriage between Jason and Michelle that was plagued by volatile fights and infidelity.

The state’s case rests on circumstantial evidence that claims Jason Young drove to Hillsville , Va ., on the night of Nov. 3, checked into his hotel, then subsequently drove back to Raleigh in the middle of the night to murder his wife.

The evidence presented by the prosecution against Young’s alibi included testimony from hotel employees who said a back door of the hotel had been propped open by a rock and a security camera had been unplugged.

Lamb said the two biggest additions to the state’s case against Jason Young are Cassidy Young’s daycare worker, who testified for the prosecution, and the use of Young’s testimony in his first trial.

In a calculated move, Lamb said, the prosecution used Young’s past testimony on the stand in an attempt to highlight discrepancies and poke holes in his original story.

Additionally, Young’s retrial allowed prosecutors to use Raleigh daycare worker Ashley Palmatier as a witness for the state’s case.

“[ Palmatier ] testified that she witnessed Cassidy acting out an attack with dolls in her hand. One of the dolls was [meant to be] her mother,” Lamb said.

Court reports state Palmatier testified, “[Cassidy]was hitting the mommy doll with the other doll and the (dollhouse) chair. She began to say that mommy’s getting a spanking for biting, and she also said that mommy has boo-boos all over.”

Lamb said the prosecution has focused much more on details during the retrial, including Palmatier’s testimony.

While the prosecution weighed heavily on circumstantial evidence, Lamb said there was little physical evidence.

“They have not found any definitive DNA evidence that links Jason Young to the crime scene,” Lamb said.

Lamb said in a case like this, the state has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty. Alternately, the defense has to prove nothing.

The next step in the trial process will be the state’s rebuttal witnesses, Lamb said. After that, each side will have the opportunity to present closing arguments before the jury is released to decide on a verdict.

If convicted, Jason Young will serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Michelle Young was a 1999 N.C . State graduate. Young was a cheerleader her freshman year and then spent her remaining three years dedicated to her sorority, Alpha Delta Pi.

According to past WRAL reports, Young’s friends and family remembered her as a “dedicated Wolfpack fan, devoted mother and loving wife.”