Hunter Biden trial highlights: Hallie Biden details tumultuous relationship and his addiction struggles (2024)

Prosecutors expect to rest their case by mid-morning tomorrow

Reporting from Wilmington, Del.

Day 4 of Hunter Biden’s trial wrapped at 4:35 p.m. The final witness of the day was Ed Banner, the man who found Hunter Biden's gun in the trash can outside the grocery store where Hallie Biden disposed of it. We are expecting the government to rest tomorrow after calling two more witnesses.

Ed Banner, the 80-year-old Navy veteran who testified he found Hunter Biden's gun in the trash after Hallie Biden tossed it, said he started digging for cans and bottles in trash cans as a hobby before he retired in 2006, adding that he would take the recyclables to New York to cash in.

Prosecutor Derek Hines asked Banner to review surveillance footage from the grocery store that showed him finding the gun in the trash can.

“That sure looks like me,” Banner said.

Reporting from Wilmington, Del.

The prosecution has called to the stand Edward Banner, the man who found Hunter Biden's gun in the trash after Hallie Biden tossed it.

Reporting from Wilmington, Del.

Greer, now a special investigator with the Delaware Department of Justice, testified about being assigned to investigate Hunter Biden’s “theft of a firearm” case in 2018. Greer went to the store, spoke with the manager and reviewed security footage, he said.

He said he obtained the gun through an elderly man who had a habit of rummaging through the trash looking for recyclables. He had found the gun and took Greer to his house to collect the weapon and leather pouch, which contained chapstick, the speed loader and box of ammo. There were 23 bullets in the box (which comes with 25), Greer said.

After collecting the gun, Greer took Biden’s gun back to the police station and logged it into evidence, where it remained until it was eventually transferred to federal custody.

After recovering the gun, Greer called Biden and asked him if he wanted to press charges for the theft of his firearm. Biden declined.

Millard Greer, a former Delaware State Police lieutenant, took the stand at 3:25 p.m.

Greer is expected to offer testimony about recovering Hunter Biden's gun, as well as ammunition, a speed loader and a brown leather pouch from a man who found them in a trash receptacle at Janssen’s Market.

Reporting from Wilmington, Del.

Marley, the police officer, had the briefest of direct examinations by prosecutor Derek Hines — it took less than two minutes. Hines asked Marley about his experience in the force and his call to Janssen’s Market on Oct. 23.

Marley, who was in uniform as he testified, said he viewed security camera video, and was present for an interview with Hunter Biden but did not conduct the interview himself. Hunter Biden was voluntarily interviewed, as the victim in this case. “He was the victim the entire time,” Marley said of this incident, because he reported a “gun was removed from his vehicle.”

Hallie Biden has finished her testimony. Next on the stand is Delaware State Police Senior Cpl. Joshua Marley. He is expected to testify about his response to an incident at Janssen’s Market, what Hunter Biden had admitted, and about evidence recovered. Hallie Biden threw out the handgun behind the grocery store, and it was later recovered by someone else.

Reporting from Wilmington, Del.

At one point, defense lawyer Abbe Lowell appeared to get frustrated with Hallie Biden’s memory and frequent answer of “I don’t recall.”

For example, when Lowell asked her if she remembered seeing him do drugs between Oct. 6 and 12, she answered, “I don’t know.”

“So there are just some things you remember and then many things you don’t,” Lowell said.

Reporting from Wilmington, Del.

Following the gun incident their relationship was “more tense,” Hallie Biden said.

Lowell returned to a message that had been previously entered into evidence, underscoring that tension.

“The f---ing FBI Hallie. It’s hard to believe anyone is that stupid // so what’s my fault here Hallie that you speak of. Owning a gun that’s in a locked car hidden on another property? You say I invade your privacy. What more can I do than come back to you to try again. And you do this???? Who in their right mind would trust you would help me get sober?,” he wrote.

Reporting from Wilmington, Del.

Lowell continued building out the timeline for the morning that Hallie Biden threw away the gun. Lowell produced a phone log of calls between Hallie and Hunter Biden and began to piece together a timeline based on those logs and text messages the pair sent each other.

She said that eventually two cops came to the grocery store office to question her.

“Police coming to talk to me now. I’ll take full blame. I don’t want to live like this anymore. This is too much for me to handle,” she texted him at the time.

Reporting from Wilmington, Del.

After running into roadblocks with the texts he was trying to use to jog Hallie Biden’s memory, Lowell has now turned to a series of phone calls based on phone records to reconstruct the events of the morning of Oct. 23, when Hallie found the gun in Hunter Biden’s car and then disposed of it in the Janssen’s Market trash can.

Prior to this, when returning to the courtroom from their lunch break, Lowell could be heard telling the prosecution: “It’s your phone records. And you know where it’s from.”

They had a four-minute sidebar at the judge’s bench when Judge Noreika returned to the courtroom before she called the jury back in.

After the sidebar finished, Noreika commented: “Lots of sidebars. We spend a lot of time over there,” referencing the corner by the bench. Hunter Biden once again stayed at the defense table during this sidebar, standing up and stretching his back.

The court released some sketches drawn by courtroom artist Bill Hennessy. The first one shows an image of the gun at the heart of the trial. The second shows Hallie Biden on the stand being questioned by prosecutor Leo Wise.

Reporting from Wilmington, Del.

Hallie Biden is back on the stand after the lunch break. Here’s who we think is still left to testify for the government after she's done.

Delaware State Police Senior Cpl. Joshua Marley:He is expected to testify about his response to an incident at Janssen’s Market, what Hunter Biden had admitted, and about evidence recovered. Hallie Biden threw the handgun out behind the grocery store, which was later recovered by someone else.

There is a steady stream of Hunter Biden supporters in attendance in court today. Valerie Bidens Owen — Joe Biden’s sister and former campaign manager is sitting in the front row behind the defense table, next to Hunter’s wife, Melissa Cohen-Biden. Her son Cuffe Owens (Joe Biden’s nephew and Hunter's cousin) is also in court.

The president and the first lady are traveling but a source familiar tells NBC News that "POTUS and FLOTUS have been asking for updates on trial and it’s definitely top of mind, even with their many commitments and engagements."