After three weeks of jury selection, the case against quadruple murder suspect Richard Ringold has moved quickly in Gwinnett Superior Court.

It's the county's first death penalty case since 2005.

Ringold is accused of fatally shooting his girlfriend, Atania Butler, her 11-year-old daughter, Jhane Thomas, friend Rico Zimmerman, and LaKeisha Parker, who was blind and mentally disabled and being cared for by Zimmerman.  All four were shot in head at Butler's Lawrenceville home in 2009.  Butler's then 4-year-old daughter survived two gunshot wounds and is expected to testify next week.

The only person to escape the house unharmed, Gifty Kargbo, testified that Ringold and Butler were arguing outside the house before the shooting.  She says Butler was upset after having recently discovered Ringold was involved with another woman.

"Rich was trying to pull her back outside and all she could say was 'Rico' and when she said that, he... he shot her in the back of the head," testified Kargbo.

She and Zimmerman attempted to run to the back door, when Zimmerman asked Ringold to "chill out".  Kargbo says at that point, Ringold shot Zimmerman twice in the head.

She was able to run around the house and out the front door to a neighbors to call 911.

District Attorney Danny Porter played the call to jurors, and at one point, Butler's sister abruptly left the courtroom screaming.  The defense asked for a mistrial, which was denied by the judge.

The defense maintains no weapon was ever found and blood spatters on Ringold's shoes came from an evidence bag containing his clothes that was taken back to the murder scene by detectives.

His attorney also maintains he was in an 18-month relationship with another woman who will testify Ringold did not have an opportunity to have a relationship with Butler.