Wyatt Lewis' family anxiously awaits verdict in James Rajbhandari murder trial

For nowthey're huddled in the courthouse cafeteria,a contingent of about a dozen of Wyatt Lewis' family who will spend these next anxious hoursor more likely daysawaiting a verdict for the man charged with hismurder.

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After two weeks of evidence at James Rajbhandari's second-degree murder trial, Justice Beth Hughes gave final instructions on Wednesday to the panel of 12 men and women who are now officially sequestered until they reach a verdict.

"Obviously we're a little anxious and hopeful," said Lewis' brotherJames Carmichael. "We do think there is enough there to convict, we're very optimistic right now."

The trial wasn't without its hitches for the prosecution. Last week, defence lawyerAlain Hepner asked Hughes for a directed verdict,which would have entailed ordering the jury to acquit Rajbhandari.

It came after the story of Crown's star witnesschanged when he was cross-examined by Hepner, calling into question issues of identification.

Witness changes story

That witness a childhood friend of the accused who testified he had 20 drinks the night of the attack and had been up for more than30 hours initiallyidentifiedRajbhandari as the one who stabbed Lewis, but recanted parts of his story under cross examination.

After a hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence lawyers, Hughes denied Hepner's application.

"It's been very surreal, there's been highs and lows," said Carmichael.

In September2012, Lewis had been out with an old friend when theywere invited to a party at an apartment building on16thAvenueN.W.

A fight broke out between a couple of the partygoers,people were ordered out of the apartmentandin the chaosof a mass exodus, Lewis was stabbed.

Lewis' dying words

When policeinterviewed Rajbhandari, he had fresh cuts on his hands and his blood was found on a knife that had been hidden on the apartment balcony.

A 911 call made by Lewis in his dying moments, and played for the court during the trial, was one of the most difficult for thefamily to hear.

"I see our father hearing his son's last words, his wife hearing her husband's last words and the desperate pleas of his best friend in the background," said Carmichael. "It's very chilling and it weighed heavy on us a lot."

The family saysthey're hoping for a guilty verdict, but they've made peace with the various possibilities.

"We all agreed as a family that regardless of the outcome, there's nothing that's going to bring Wyatt back," said Carmichael. "But we're hoping for some measure of justice here that's going to help us move forward with our lives."