Joshua Young Trial

[sharit]

That father is a real piece of work. I saw a little bit of him last night. He's fucked in the head.

Full on asshole, no doubt.

Trey's mother, Amanda, bothers me. I'm sorry her son was brutally beaten to death.

But, why the hell did she let a known criminal, abuser, and manipulator into her son's life? Rhetorical question, really.

I'm just always puzzled when mothers with children invite such scum of the earth into the home. Happens all the time and never makes any sense to me.

So glad that Gouker is caged; at least a bit of justice for Trey has been served.

CPS failed this kid for sure! I just can not get a sense on whether he helped his father to please him or, if his pos Dad framed him and convinced him to take the blame. If he did put the blame on Jr, where did his conscious come from? Would assume Goucker did not have one. If Jr helped kill Trey he should get punished, even though his Dad forced him into it. Some one should have noticed this guy was bad for this kid. Are there really that many stupid people in this country. Did I read right that dad and son had only been together 2 months when this murder took place? If so, how stupid do those people feel who awarded Goucker custody. They should all be terminated!

[username]

April 2010 -- Angelina Young, Joshua’s mother, dies of a drug overdose.

April 2010-March 2011 -- Joshua Young lives in a series of foster homes, finding a stable home with Susan and Chuck Stoneburger for several months.

September 29, 2010 -- Joshua Gouker, Young's father, is released from prison.

March 2011 -- Gouker regains custody of his son, Joshua Young.

May 10, 2011 -- Trey Zwicker, 14, is beaten to death.

Josh Young was dealt a fucked up hand. Based on the fact that his mother died from a drug overdose, you can pretty much assume his life was screwed up long before her death.

Complicity to commit murder? I don't see him convicted and I don't even think they should pursue it. He needs some serious help so he doesn't turn out like his crazy parents but I think this prosecution effort is a waste of time/money.

[sharit]

April 2010 -- Angelina Young, Joshua’s mother, dies of a drug overdose.

April 2010-March 2011 -- Joshua Young lives in a series of foster homes, finding a stable home with Susan and Chuck Stoneburger for several months.

September 29, 2010 -- Joshua Gouker, Young's father, is released from prison.

March 2011 -- Gouker regains custody of his son, Joshua Young.

May 10, 2011 -- Trey Zwicker, 14, is beaten to death.

Josh Young was dealt a fucked up hand. Based on the fact that his mother died from a drug overdose, you can pretty much assume his life was screwed up long before her death.

Complicity to commit murder? I don't see him convicted and I don't even think they should pursue it. He needs some serious help so he doesn't turn out like his crazy parents but I think this prosecution effort is a waste of time/money.

If Goucker got all to lie and say Jr did it. why are they still saying Young did it? Any thoughts?

[HairOfTheDog]

The prosecution rested its case today.

The defense then presented a motion for dismissal.

Defense attorneys contended that there wasn't evidence to support the murder charge against Young and that the whole case was based on nothing other than Gouker's false initial claim that his son had killed Zwicker, a claim which he later retracted.

The judge denied the motion to dismiss citing the fact that there were several prosecution witnesses who testified under oath that Young had confessed to the murder.

The defense will present its case starting Thursday, 8/8. It's unlikely that Joshua Young will testify.

The jury may begin verdict deliberations on Friday. They will be sequestered for the duration of the deliberation process.

[username]

The night of the murder

Tuesday night, May 10:

Amanda Mcfarland sends her son, Trey Zwicker, back to bed after she sees him attempting to sneak out of the house late that night.

She has sex with her husband Joshua Gouker. The two leave the home in the middle of the night to buy cigarettes. When the two return home, they film themselves having sex again.

Amanda Mcfarland falls asleep.

The next day

Wednesday, May 11:

That morning, Amanda finds Trey's backpack. She is unable to make contact with him by phone.

In the afternoon, she is told by police that a dead body has been found in a ditch.

Terrence 'Trey' Zwicker, a Seneca High School teen, is found dead behind Liberty High School. His body is discovered by a student during a class break.

Thursday, May 12:

Zwicker's family pleads with the public for information regarding his death.

Sunday, May 15:

Friends and family of Trey Zwicker attend his funeral at Evergreen Funeral Home. Police are still looking for clues that might lead to a suspect in his death.

June 10:

ABC News-11, reports that Trey Zwicker's mother, Amanda Campbell aka Amanda McFarland, has filed an order of protection against her present husband, Joshua Gouker. The report indicates that Gouker is a dangerous man with a violent past. Amanda Campbell suspects that her husband had something to do with her son's murder.

June 16:

Joshua Gouker and his son, Joshua Young, are apprehended and arrested in Birmingham, Al, on weapons charges. The Amber alert issued for Joshua Young is cancelled, according to ABC News-11.

June 22:

Joshua Gouker pleads guilty to the weapons charge.

June 23:

Joshua Young, Trey Zwicker's 15-year-old stepbrother, is arrested for his murder.

October 5:

Joshua Gouker is released from the Birmingham jail in error.

October 6:

Police find Joshua Gouker. He is immediately arrested and placed in the county jail.

November 17:

Stepbrother, Joshua Young, is formally charged with murder.

2012

In an interview with police, Joshua tells them that his father Joshua Gouker gave him weed every time he visited but upon moving in with him, they smoked Marijuana together everyday.

He told police that his dad also gave weed to Trey Zwicker.

July 26: Joshua Young is charged with complicity to murder. His father, Joshua Gouker, is charged with murder.

August 22:

Joshua Young pleads not guilty.

2013

May 10:

Joshua Gouker pleads guilty to murder.

Friday, July 26:

Joshua Gouker is sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his stepson, Terrence Zwicker III, reports WDRB News.

July 29:

Joshua Young is on trial. Jury selection begins.

July 31: The prosecution makes their opening statements in the trial of Joshua Young.

August 1: Amanda Mcfarland testifies that she was with her husband Joshua Gouker on the night of the murder. This testimony gives Gouker an alibi.





http://www.examiner.com/article/joshua-y...r-timeline

[username]

After six days of testimony, prosecutors rested their case Wednesday morning in the trial of Joshua Young, the 17-year-old accused of brutally beating his stepbrother to death.

Young is charged with complicity to murder for his role in the slaying of his stepbrother, Trey Zwicker, in May 2011. Prosecutors say Young acted in concert with his biological father, Josh Gouker, to kill Zwicker.

Gouker pleaded guilty to Zwicker’s murder, and was sentenced on July 26 to life in prison. Young’s defense attorneys argue that Gouker acted alone when he murdered Zwicker.

After the prosecution rested, defense attorney Peter Schuler moved for the case against Young to be dismissed, saying there wasn’t a “scintilla of evidence” proving his client killed Zwicker.

“There’s nothing to suggest two weapons. There’s nothing to suggest two defendants,” said Schuler.

The defense had called medical examiner Dr. George Nichols to the stand during the prosecution’s case Friday because of a scheduling conflict. Nichols said that he thought Zwicker’s injuries were caused by a pipe like Gouker claimed to use, but, as Judge Berry Willet pointed out Wednesday, the medical examiner couldn’t rule out that two people beat Zwicker.

“Even Dr. Nichols' testimony that you place great stock in, he couldn’t say there weren’t two assailants. But he did preface that by saying that they would have to be standing in the same place, based on the pattern of the wound,” Willet said.

“The burden of proof lies on the commonwealth, anything is possible,” Schuler said Wednesday. “There would need to be some scientific evidence to show my client’s involvement in this with a bat or whatever. The only evidence is that we know is that one person did this. There is no evidence to indicate that more than one person did this. So theoretically I guess it is possible that there could have been a bat and a pipe or a pole or something like that. It’s theoretically possible. Anything is theoretically possible. But I think we are going out into the range of pure speculation as to what happened. There is no evidence that two people were down there at all. None.”

Despite Schuler’s passionate argument asking for a directed verdict, Willet denied the motion, saying that prosecutors had presented sufficient evidence to send the case to the jury.

The defense attorneys will begin presenting their case Thursday morning, and they informed Willet that they only need a half day.

[HairOfTheDog]

Countdown to Verdict

The trial is at its end stage.

The defense called 4 witnesses today.

One was Young's aunt who testified that he was extremely distraught at Zwicker's funeral.

The social worker who was assigned to the family also testified that the boys appeared to get along very well and she witnessed them in a comfortable relationship during several home visits.

Young didn't take the stand.

The judge told the jury that they should be prepared to start deliberations mid day Friday and bring overnight bags in the event that they don't reach a verdict by end of day.

[username]

Attorneys for Joshua Young finished their case Thursday without calling the teen to defend himself in the May 2011 murder of his 14-year-old stepbrother, Trey Zwicker.

Jurors will hear closing arguments today, then begin deliberations. Jefferson Circuit Judge Barry Willett told jurors they’d be sequestered in a hotel tonight if they have to deliberate into Saturday.

The defense had already called some witnesses, including a former medical examiner, earlier in the trial and took only about 45 minutes to finish its case. Defense witnesses said Young seemed close with Trey and was visibly upset at his funeral.

Young was “very sad, very distraught, teary-eyed,” Cindy Guenther, Young’s aunt, testified. Other witnesses testified for the prosecution that Young showed no emotion about Trey’s death.

Also, Allison Miller, Young’s former social worker who works for the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said she saw Young and Trey playing video games and joking together. She saw no problems between the teens in two visits.

Jurors were sent home before 10 a.m. as both sides worked on jury instructions.

The defense did not say why Young didn’t testify, though his statements to police denying any part in the murder were played during the trial.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/2...-testimony

[sharit]

It looks to me that Josh young committed the murder because, Goucker was with the mom for a long time. By the contents in Treys stomach, if his last meal was when his mother said it was then Trey was killed a couple of hours after he ate. Unless he ate again later and Goucker left after the mom fell asleep? Who knows!

[sharit]

Verdict Reached!

[HairOfTheDog]

Not guilty on all counts.

Not surprised. The prosecution had an uphill battle on this one; none of their witnesses was very credible (IMO) and there was no physical evidence to bolster the circumstantial evidence.

I'm not convinced that Young wasn't involved or responsible for the murder, but I don't think the state proved their case beyond reasonable doubt.

[Maggot]

Well...............It looks like justice is blind with this case. But it is our system and anarchy would be worse.