Jurors saw cellphone videos and read text messages in the trial of 21-year-old Savonne Morrison, accused of beating a man to death in Clearwater in 2022.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Testimony began Tuesday in the trial of a Pinellas County man accused of taking part in a violent 2022 crime spree that ended with a deadly tire iron attack in Clearwater.

Savonne Morrison, 21, is charged in the death of 49-year-old Jeffrey Chapman.

Jurors heard that the violence began late on Oct. 20, 2022, when Morrison and another man, Jermaine Bennett, allegedly used a tire iron to break into cars.

Videos that prosecutors say were recovered from Morrison and Bennett’s cellphones were shown in court.

“One would be smashing the window while the other filled and vice versa,” a detective testified while describing the videos.

Investigators say the crimes escalated from vehicle break-ins to random, violent attacks.

Prosecutors say the two men first attacked 79-year-old John Budenas in St. Petersburg using the same tire iron seen in the videos. Budenas survived and spoke to 10 Tampa Bay News in 2023.

They then traveled to Clearwater, where Chapman was beaten to death, according to investigators.

During testimony, a detective testified that the suspects did not know the victims.

“Was that a random act of violence?” a prosecutor asked.

“It was random, sir,” the detective replied.

The defense argued that the videos do not actually show anyone being harmed.

Jurors also reviewed text messages between Morrison and Bennett, reportedly sent the day after the killing.

“Yo, you good?” Bennett texted Morrison.

Morrison responded, ‘Hell yea.”

Prosecutors said Morrison also sent a text that included “lol” along with a link to a news story about the murder.

In another message, Bennett allegedly responded: “We did it.”

Prosecutors emphasized the wording during testimony.

“It wasn’t ‘I did it,’ was it?” the prosecutor asked.

“No,” the detective replied.

“It was ‘We did it,’” the prosecutor said.

Morrison’s attorney argues his client did not know about any plan to hurt anyone and did not swing the tire iron himself.

Bennett, the other man charged in the case, pleaded guilty in 2024 and is serving a sentence of life in prison without parole.