Jurors in the Kirk Lankford murder trial kicked off the difficult task yesterday of sifting through a mountain of evidence, witness statements and oral arguments to decide whether the former pest control worker is guilty of killing a Japanese national in Pupukea a year ago today.

The jurors can consider three options if they find Lankford guilty of the killing: murder by commission, or intentionally killing someone; murder by omission, or failing to help someone at the scene of a crime and knowing that without help they will die; or manslaughter, a lesser crime.

Lankford, 23, has testified that he accidentally sideswiped Masumi Watanabe with his Hauoli Pest Control truck as she stood by the side of Pupukea Road on April 12, 2007. He said she had only minor injuries after the accident, but that as he was giving her a lift home, she became frantic and jumped out of his moving truck, hitting her head on a rock on the roadside and dying.

Lankford testified that he was afraid of losing his job if he reported the death, so he put her body in his truck and completed his work shift. That night, he testified, he took her body out to sea. Her body has not been found.

The prosecution argues that Lankford's story doesn't add up.

Closing arguments in the case were presented Thursday.

Any decision by the 12-member jury must be unanimous.

Jury deliberations take a break this weekend, but will resume Monday.