Character witnesses took the stand Wednesday in the sentencing phase of Shannon Gilday's trial, as his loved ones pleaded for compassion, describing a young man with a promising future derailed by mental illness.Gilday was found guilty but mentally ill of murder, burglary, and three counts of attempted murder in the death of a former state lawmaker's daughter.His great aunt, Mary Beck, told the jury the man who committed the crime was not the person she knew."I believe that the Shannon that did this heinous thing is not the Shannon I knew. That is not something that the Shannon I knew could've or would've done, and I believe that with my whole heart," Beck said.Gilday's former high school German teacher, James Thaxton, called him one of the brightest students he had ever taught and said he felt compelled to appear in court on his behalf."I think it is important for me to be here, because the student that I had in my classroom in 2017 was such an amazing person, is such an amazing person, that I need to do whatever I can, little though it may be, to help that student," Thaxton said.Each witness described the crime as an utter shock. Beck also recalled a moment when she sensed something was wrong. At a family wedding, she said Gilday seemed withdrawn and appeared guarded by his mother. She said she wishes she had acted on that instinct."I wish that I had made myself feel awkward and went ahead and approached Katie and asked if there was something wrong and if there was something I could help with, but I didn't, and I wish I had," Beck said.Tuesday, the victim's father spoke through tears about the trauma his family endures."When I saw her in the casket, you have no idea what that was liketo see your child in there dead, and I didn't have any idea how horrible her death was," C. Wesley Morgan, Jordan Morgan's father, said.Beck said she hopes the jury will consider who she believes Gilday truly is."The biggest thing that I can say about Shannon is that he is a kind person with humanity who I believe has a really terrible illness that took him away from himself," Beck said.The jury returns Thursday morning for instructions and closing arguments before deciding on a sentencing recommendation. ...read more read less