07-23-2012, 11:23 PM
So sorry to take so long to post when I know all of you are waiting. Older Than Dirt is right. I was at the Pettaway trial today, and I have been taking care of business since, even though I really wanted to let you all know what transpired.
Pettaway's trial ended at 4:47pm while William's lasted about 20 minutes longer. Judge Bates began by addressing the jury regarding the fact that he has heard that there may be a picketer outside the courthouse this week and reminding jurors they are not to consider anything not presented at trial. The judge also informed the jury that a juror had been excused due to a medical hardship in her family and seated an alternate juror as the new "Juror #9".
First witness was Jeff Straub. Dressed nicely in a button-down, long-sleeved shirt and tie, he looked like the responsible father he is. Calm and collected, prosecuting attorney Louis Kountaris asked him to describe his and Mary Beth's house rules regarding smoking in the house (NEVER allowed), damage noticed upon their return from st. Maarten to the garage/kitchen service door, front entry door and Lisa's bedroom door. He was asked what brand of beer he drank, and smiled as he said, "Natty Light."
Jeff was asked to describe his basement; finished with a pool table, ping pong table, small dry-bar with 4 stools, exercise machine, TV and two loveseats.
He was also asked if there were any items he or his wife found upon inspection of the home shortly after the crime that led them to call detectives. He responded that they had found some torn photographs and old cigarette butts in a trash can in the three-season room. He was also asked to identify a photo of a garage opener remote control found outside the home by investigators. He responded that he didn't know where it came from, but that it showed up in his kitchen (he assumed Lisa or a friend put it there) and he tried to program it to operate his opener but was unsuccessful. The opener was ultimately found outside the home in either the back- or side-yard, near the house.
He was asked if he had submitted to DNA testing and fingerprints and he said that he had. Finally, he was asked about currency, specifically Iraqi Dinar that he had in the home. He testified that he paid about $4,500 USD for just over $4 million Dinar as an investment, and that they were in envelopes under a dresser in his bedroom. Investigators found them, and they have been returned,
He was also asked to identify empty beer cans in the basement waste basket under the bar; Whether Lisa had parties while he was not home? (He surmised she may have but he didn't know for certain); If he had ever seen a digital scale in the house? (He hadn't); When would have been the last time he would have cleaned up and removed discarded cigarette butts from around the pool? (September); Why Johnny moved into their home? (he got kicked out of his); Whether Lisa's ex-boyfriend Ben Dennis had been violent? (he didn't know); When was the last time he saw Ben? (he called and asked if they would mind if he came to the funeral home to pay his respects. He did and expressed his condolences and according to Jeff seemed very sincere); Did he know Sarah Mettler or Sarah Stallcamp? (He knew Sarah Mettler as a good friend of Lisa all her life but had never heard of Sarah Stallcamp).
Cross examination provided nothing of import, but the defense did something I found rather tacky and outright rude: he handed Jeff an envelope and asked him to open it and remove its contents, which Jeff did. He asked him what the contents were, and Jeff replied that they were pieces of torn pictures. The defense attorney then asked Jeff to PIECE THE PHOTO'S TOGETHER on the rail in front of the witness stand! The jury waited what seemed like an eternity while Jeff moved jigsaw puzzle pieces of torn photos trying to reconstruct them, looking confused and moving, and moving again pieces until he finally gave up and said they look like Christmas photos from 2010. Then the attorney told Jeff he could put the back in the envelope, and as Jeff began to fumble with the pieces, must have realized what an ass he had been to the father of the victim and scooped up the pieces himself.
Mary Beth Straub was next and got basically the same questions, plus a few others; Did she have Bed Bath and Beyond bags in the home or garage?; (She did, having shopped there during the Christmas season); Could she identify a note outlining house rules she left for Lisa before departing on the cruise?; (Two of the three notes were hers. A third saying only, "Laundry Soap," was not one she left and not her writing); Did she know Sarah Mettler or Sarah Stallcamp? (Sarah Mettler is a very close and longtime friend of Lisa. She never heard of Sarah Stallcamp); Was she aware of anyone making threats to Johnny? (She wasn't).
Next-door neighbor Karen Florian testified that she heard nothing out of the ordinary the night of the murders until the commotion around 2:30am with Deputy's and Maytee/John Sr. She also said her husband had been at his office, returning home around 10:00pm and noticed nothing unusual at the Straub house. She testified that there used to sometimes be parties when Jeff and Mary Beth were away, but those hadn't happened since Lindsay Straub moved out. She noted that she could always tell when there was a party because her bedroom windows overlooked the Straub driveway and she could here commotion and car doors slamming. She heard nothing the night of the murder until the aforementioned commotion, and even though it was January, testified that she and her husband always slept with the bedroom windows open due to her husbands thyroid condition.
Michael Dominguez was called and testified that Johnny was at his house watching football on Jan. 30 from approximately 7:30pm until 9-9:30ish when he left to pick up Lisa from work. He knew Johnny was selling marijuana, and knew he was taking percocet, although he never saw him do it. He answered a defense question that, yes, he was aware that Johnny was, "on the out's," with Aaron Griffin. The defense attorney also asked if Dominguez had lied to the police. When Dominguez replied that he had not lied, he was asked if he realized that his interview had been taped. He said he did not know that, which prompted the attorney to ask if he wanted to reconsider his answer about whether he had lied. (The insinuation to the jury that he had lied was never followed up on, even though the transcript of the interview was in the attorney's hand, meaning to me that the attorney was trying to paint Dominguez as a liar by suggesting inference to the jury, or will have the interviewing officer on the stand later.)
Next was Sharrita Crumby. Not much here other than she admitted being to the Straubs home 2 or 3 times, the last being sometime before her birthday October 24. She smokes Newports, knows the house rules, and only smoked outside. She said Tiffany Williams called her the night of Jan. 30 asking for the number to reach her boyfriend, Reuben Ruez, which she refused ti give out. She did however, call Maytee and relate the story Tiffany told her about being unable to reach Johnny or Lisa after being abruptly cut off after calling Johnny and hearing an argument with an unknown male.
After a lunch break and before the jury was brought back, Judge Bates addressed the gallery. He said there had been some type of altercation between family members and that such conduct would not be tolerated. Anyone who cannot conduct themselves as adults will be banned from the proceedings. Try as I might, including asking John Sr.'s father, John Sr. (the 1st???), I was unable to find out what had happened during the break.
Christ, now I'm told my post is too long.. Gonna have to do this in two parts.
Pettaway's trial ended at 4:47pm while William's lasted about 20 minutes longer. Judge Bates began by addressing the jury regarding the fact that he has heard that there may be a picketer outside the courthouse this week and reminding jurors they are not to consider anything not presented at trial. The judge also informed the jury that a juror had been excused due to a medical hardship in her family and seated an alternate juror as the new "Juror #9".
First witness was Jeff Straub. Dressed nicely in a button-down, long-sleeved shirt and tie, he looked like the responsible father he is. Calm and collected, prosecuting attorney Louis Kountaris asked him to describe his and Mary Beth's house rules regarding smoking in the house (NEVER allowed), damage noticed upon their return from st. Maarten to the garage/kitchen service door, front entry door and Lisa's bedroom door. He was asked what brand of beer he drank, and smiled as he said, "Natty Light."
Jeff was asked to describe his basement; finished with a pool table, ping pong table, small dry-bar with 4 stools, exercise machine, TV and two loveseats.
He was also asked if there were any items he or his wife found upon inspection of the home shortly after the crime that led them to call detectives. He responded that they had found some torn photographs and old cigarette butts in a trash can in the three-season room. He was also asked to identify a photo of a garage opener remote control found outside the home by investigators. He responded that he didn't know where it came from, but that it showed up in his kitchen (he assumed Lisa or a friend put it there) and he tried to program it to operate his opener but was unsuccessful. The opener was ultimately found outside the home in either the back- or side-yard, near the house.
He was asked if he had submitted to DNA testing and fingerprints and he said that he had. Finally, he was asked about currency, specifically Iraqi Dinar that he had in the home. He testified that he paid about $4,500 USD for just over $4 million Dinar as an investment, and that they were in envelopes under a dresser in his bedroom. Investigators found them, and they have been returned,
He was also asked to identify empty beer cans in the basement waste basket under the bar; Whether Lisa had parties while he was not home? (He surmised she may have but he didn't know for certain); If he had ever seen a digital scale in the house? (He hadn't); When would have been the last time he would have cleaned up and removed discarded cigarette butts from around the pool? (September); Why Johnny moved into their home? (he got kicked out of his); Whether Lisa's ex-boyfriend Ben Dennis had been violent? (he didn't know); When was the last time he saw Ben? (he called and asked if they would mind if he came to the funeral home to pay his respects. He did and expressed his condolences and according to Jeff seemed very sincere); Did he know Sarah Mettler or Sarah Stallcamp? (He knew Sarah Mettler as a good friend of Lisa all her life but had never heard of Sarah Stallcamp).
Cross examination provided nothing of import, but the defense did something I found rather tacky and outright rude: he handed Jeff an envelope and asked him to open it and remove its contents, which Jeff did. He asked him what the contents were, and Jeff replied that they were pieces of torn pictures. The defense attorney then asked Jeff to PIECE THE PHOTO'S TOGETHER on the rail in front of the witness stand! The jury waited what seemed like an eternity while Jeff moved jigsaw puzzle pieces of torn photos trying to reconstruct them, looking confused and moving, and moving again pieces until he finally gave up and said they look like Christmas photos from 2010. Then the attorney told Jeff he could put the back in the envelope, and as Jeff began to fumble with the pieces, must have realized what an ass he had been to the father of the victim and scooped up the pieces himself.
Mary Beth Straub was next and got basically the same questions, plus a few others; Did she have Bed Bath and Beyond bags in the home or garage?; (She did, having shopped there during the Christmas season); Could she identify a note outlining house rules she left for Lisa before departing on the cruise?; (Two of the three notes were hers. A third saying only, "Laundry Soap," was not one she left and not her writing); Did she know Sarah Mettler or Sarah Stallcamp? (Sarah Mettler is a very close and longtime friend of Lisa. She never heard of Sarah Stallcamp); Was she aware of anyone making threats to Johnny? (She wasn't).
Next-door neighbor Karen Florian testified that she heard nothing out of the ordinary the night of the murders until the commotion around 2:30am with Deputy's and Maytee/John Sr. She also said her husband had been at his office, returning home around 10:00pm and noticed nothing unusual at the Straub house. She testified that there used to sometimes be parties when Jeff and Mary Beth were away, but those hadn't happened since Lindsay Straub moved out. She noted that she could always tell when there was a party because her bedroom windows overlooked the Straub driveway and she could here commotion and car doors slamming. She heard nothing the night of the murder until the aforementioned commotion, and even though it was January, testified that she and her husband always slept with the bedroom windows open due to her husbands thyroid condition.
Michael Dominguez was called and testified that Johnny was at his house watching football on Jan. 30 from approximately 7:30pm until 9-9:30ish when he left to pick up Lisa from work. He knew Johnny was selling marijuana, and knew he was taking percocet, although he never saw him do it. He answered a defense question that, yes, he was aware that Johnny was, "on the out's," with Aaron Griffin. The defense attorney also asked if Dominguez had lied to the police. When Dominguez replied that he had not lied, he was asked if he realized that his interview had been taped. He said he did not know that, which prompted the attorney to ask if he wanted to reconsider his answer about whether he had lied. (The insinuation to the jury that he had lied was never followed up on, even though the transcript of the interview was in the attorney's hand, meaning to me that the attorney was trying to paint Dominguez as a liar by suggesting inference to the jury, or will have the interviewing officer on the stand later.)
Next was Sharrita Crumby. Not much here other than she admitted being to the Straubs home 2 or 3 times, the last being sometime before her birthday October 24. She smokes Newports, knows the house rules, and only smoked outside. She said Tiffany Williams called her the night of Jan. 30 asking for the number to reach her boyfriend, Reuben Ruez, which she refused ti give out. She did however, call Maytee and relate the story Tiffany told her about being unable to reach Johnny or Lisa after being abruptly cut off after calling Johnny and hearing an argument with an unknown male.
After a lunch break and before the jury was brought back, Judge Bates addressed the gallery. He said there had been some type of altercation between family members and that such conduct would not be tolerated. Anyone who cannot conduct themselves as adults will be banned from the proceedings. Try as I might, including asking John Sr.'s father, John Sr. (the 1st???), I was unable to find out what had happened during the break.
Christ, now I'm told my post is too long.. Gonna have to do this in two parts.