Trial winds down for former BP engineer

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal trial is drawing to a close for a former BP drilling engineer charged with deleting text messages about the company’s response to its massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Jurors are scheduled to hear closing arguments Monday in Kurt Mix’s trial on two counts of obstruction of justice. Mix didn’t testify at his trial, which started two weeks ago.

Mix pleaded not guilty to charges he deliberately deleted text messages to and from a supervisor and a BP contractor to stymie a grand jury’s probe of the spill.

During the trial’s opening statements, defense attorney Joan McPhee told jurors that Mix deleted the texts from his iPhone “for the most innocent of reasons” and didn’t hide anything from the grand jury.

- FWBP Digital Partners -