Tag Archives: murder.

Pistorius Trial: The Players

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The Oscar Pistorius trial begins this week and it looks like it could be a long one. The opening and closing arguments will be live as well as expert testimony and the final judgement. This is a first in South Africa. The judge said he wanted the people to see that money and fame will not affect the outcome of this trial. The witness testimony (including Pistorius, should he decide to testify) will have audio only. The players include the following:

 

  1. The judge is a woman: Thokozile Matilda Masipa, a former crime reporter who made headlines in 1998 when she became the second black woman to be appointed to the high court. She has a history of firm judgments in crimes against women. There are  no jury trials in South Africa so the judge will render the final decision.
  2. Pistorius has a strong legal team: Barry Roux is the primary lawyer with more than 30 years’ experience. He was able to destroy the police case at the bail hearing so that the man in charge of the investigation, Hilton Botha, was removed from the case. Roux charges about $6,000 a day.
  3. Kenny Oldwageis another of his lawyers. He is famous in South Africa for defending Sizwe Mankazana, a man who drove the car that killed Nelson Mandela’s 13-year-old great-granddaughter. That man was aquitted.
  4. The defense also has many expert witnesses, they even spoke to Henry Lee (according to Lee), famous for defending OJ Simpson. An expert team from the U.S. will reconstruct the crime scene. There is also a geologist on board.
  5. The lead prosecutor is Gerrie Nel, a very serious lawyer who won a corruption conviction against a South African police chief- Jackie Selebi. Selebi was also head of Interpol.
  6. The lead detective is Vinesh Moonoo, a father of two who is the top cop in South Africa.
  7. There are over 100 people on the witness list. Included are Pistorius’ former girlfriend, friends who support him and friends who do not support him, people he has verbally abused and threatened physically and many more. I am looking forward to the Security Guard who called Pistorius right after the shooting to ask if everything was alright and Pistorius said: “Yes.”

 

For premeditated murder the sentence is life (25 years) in South Africa. If found not guilty on this charge he could still get culpable homicide and face 15 years.

Here are my sources:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/oscar-pistorius-murder-trial-what-should-we-expect-9158488.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/meet-legal-eagles-oscar-pistorius-case-article-1.1270479

Dunn Is Done

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The verdict is in, and although the jury couldn’t reach a verdict on Murder 1 they voted guilty on the other four counts. Some are saying this means 60 years in jail- a life sentence for Dunn. I have not really been following this trial as I have been really busy with work. I can’t see how anyone can shoot at kids because they play their music loud. I mean I know when I was a teen I played my music loud- didn’t we all? My neighbor has a teen and when the parents aren’t home he plays loud music but I have never thought to shoot him. I just turn up the volume on my TV until I can hear it again. I have also recently heard that he pulled guns on his former wives and was a bully. Sounds like a real winner. Here is a link if you want to hear more: http://www.allthingscrimeblog.com/2014/02/14/did-michael-dunn-have-the-bad-habit-of-pointing-guns-at-his-wives/

Her’s a link about his convictions: http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-michael-dunn-loud-music-verdict-20140213,0,5446202.story#axzz2tRmbbDPi

Who’s Visiting Jodi Arias?

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Yes, people other than her lawyers are actually going to see her! On the excellent website ‘Justice For Travis’ (link below) they have posted a log of the people who have been visiting Jodi in jail. I never cut and paste from another site, that’s like stealing, but I will entice you to go there with some interesting tidbits:

1. There are more ‘friends’ visiting than official people or family members. I wonder if any of these ‘friends’ will stand up for her in court.

2. Most of the ‘friends’ visiting are male. This is creepy…are they expecting to have a relationship with this psycho? I mean we saw how her last one turned out!

3. The log goes from May to October and in October no family members visited. Are they distancing themselves or is this a ploy to prove she has zero support from her family for the upcoming trial? You know, like she said last time.

4. An investigator visited in August and September. Wonder what he/she is up to?

5. Wilmott seems to have taken the lead as she visits more often than Nurmi who did not visit at all in June, July, August, September or October.

6. There are more Doctors visiting-Wilmott brought in 3, one who testified in the trial and is a friend of Alyce LaViolette. Here we go again…

If you go to the link please scroll down to January 31 post. Also read the comments- some very smart people on there. Also you may want to know that posting a list or her visitors is not a problem as it is all public records- thank you Maria K. for getting this info!

Link: https://www.facebook.com/Justice4Travis

 

Blade Runner Trial Coming

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Here is one trial I have really been looking forward to: Oscar Pistorius for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.  This guy has a history of being violent and shot his girlfriend through the bathroom door in the middle of the night. He thought she was a burglar! Really? How many burglars use the bathroom? Why didn’t he just reach over to see if she was still in the bed with him? He couldn’t yell through the bathroom door: “Honey are you in there?” before shooting multiple times? And he lives in a gated community where I have heard his house is like a fortress. Also witnesses heard a woman scream before the gunshots! Finally Pistorius claimed that he did not have time to put on his ‘blades’ before shooting but the cops think he did based on the trajectory of the bullets. He had plenty of time to see if she was in the bed and he had to reach under the bed to get the gun. Here is a photo of the beautiful 29 year old Reeva Steenkamp:

 

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I think they fought and he thought she was going to dump him! The trial will be televised and begins March 3rd.

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/19/oscar-pistorius-indicted-murder-reeva-steenkamp_n_3778183.html

Amanda Knox Guilty…Again

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So the verdict came down in Italy today and Knox has been found guilty. Remember she was guilty for the murder of her roommate then not guilty and now she is guilty again! Her response? “They’ll have to pull me back kicking and screaming to prison.” Another source says she is frightened and saddened by the conviction. I do not know enough about this case to give my opinion- any one out there want to give me theirs?

Links for more info: http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/30/world/europe/italy-amanda-knox-retrial/

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/30/amanda-knox-prison-meredith-kercher-murder?CMP=twt_gu

Arias’ Cellmate Tweets The Truth!

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Wow…just wow! I have been reading the tweets from Jodi’s former cellmate and it’s very interesting. Here’s some of the goo stuff (and the link below for more!)

1. She catches Jodi in lies – about her brother running her facebook accounts.

2. Jodi apparently admitted her own Twitter account is a lie.

3. Casandra (the cellmate) says she “…will continue to speak the truth and expose my former cellmate Jodi Arias for the dangerous person she is today!”

4. Implies Jodi admitted lying to Troy Hayden (FOX news).

5. Made threats regarding the prosecutor- Juan Martinez.

6. Asks her if she is “…in a fog again?”

7. Says “I NEVER (1) time ever witnessed Jodi Arias cry…and I lived with her for 37 days!” (No surprise there).

8. Apparently Casandra and Jodi got into a Twitter war but Jodi has since deleted all her responses. I’m pretty sure they are still out there somewhere. And that the prosecution will use them. (Oh- I just figured out that if you press the little “View Conversation” on the comments by Casandra in the link below you can still see some of Jodi’s comments!)

9. Casandra says: “Jodi has no moral compass.” (Knew that too).

10. Says Jodi demonstrated no remorse and bragged openly that she murdered Travis Alexander.

There is more so check out the link- you will have to scroll down.

Link: https://twitter.com/CollinsCasandra

Arias Trial in February?

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Things are getting interesting as the trial nears. The best info out there tends to be on the Justice for Travis facebook page (I have the link below). I do not think it is right to copy entire articles as that robs the original authors so please check out the link (I will give you just a hint of the stuff that’s going on).

1. Jodi is selling wrist bands. She should be selling Ginsu Knives.

2. She also got into a Twitter Debate with her ex-cell mate (there is a link on the site below). Then she deleted her tweets…but the prosecutor can still find them! Her celly had claimed she wanted Juan Martinez killed.

3. Jodi is now featured on the series “Snapped’ – Oxygen channel. Though I am pretty sure this was not a case of snapping…when you travel from North California to Arizona with a gun and a knife that’s not snapping in my book.

4. Steven Alexander wrote to the site below (you will need to scroll down a ways) and mentioned the trial is due to start mid- February and that the family wants to see justice done. 

We certainly have waited long enough for it.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/Justice4Travis

Arias Update

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Judge Stephens finally made some rulings- all of which I am unhappy with. She has eliminated live feeds which I used to base all my summaries on during the trial. She also said no to twitter during the trial so I can’t update that way either. The good news- she can’t fire Nurmi and the trial will stay in Phoenix. She has still not ruled on the re-trial of the penalty phase date. I’m guessing next year some time, if it even happens. Here’s a a link to the article: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/free/20131115judge-bans-live-tv-coverage-jodi-arias-retrial.html

Arias Fires Nurmi?

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Apparently last week Jodi wrote a letter to the judge about her desire to get rid of her defense counsel, Kirk Nurmi. She notes that she has not spoken to him since late May and that he has an “utter poverty of people skills.” Because of this letter nothing else has been settled in the case, including when they will get on with it. Read more at: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/20131024jodi-arias-files-motions-fire-attorney.html