I've been following this case on-and-off since the beginning. I was firmly in the "Brad=guilty" group since day 1, but just this week have been thinking that the prosecution hasn't proved it at all, and I don't think I would be able to find him guilty if I was on the jury based on the evidence.
Before I get beat on, just a few random thoughts:
*As a woman who has been isolated by a husband and kept short of money for nefarious purposes, I feel as if I have to speak out against those who put NC in that group. Nancy was in no way a poor isolated wife. Her allowance was larger then many entire families income, including what they pay for rent and other bills. While I have heard testimony that she didn't get that allowance in the last week of her life, I have not heard any that said that she regularly didn't get the money. It appears Brad "paid up" fairly regularly up to that point. I wish I had $300 a week to spend as I pleased, hell, I've had to buy groceries, paper products, ect on $300 a month and been ok. No sympathy here for Nancy in regards to her money situation. I really don't think you'll be getting any from the jury either. Even in regards to the last week of her life when she didn't get her "allowance", if you are in a volitile relationship with a soon to be ex, where you are arguing and fighting on a daily basis...if you don't realize that with-holding money isn't going to occur (heck, I can't believe it didn't come up before, that would be a good "warfare" tactic of his, hers being with her sharp tongue, his with the checkbook), and prepare. If she couldn't save $50 or $100 a week and sock it away for when he would play this game...that says alot about her and her issues with money.
*The testimony regarding the affairs is damaging, more so for NC, as unfair as that is. Not because she is a woman, but because she is dead in a suspicious manner. The defense doesn't have to prove someone else killed her, it just has to show evidence that she had a pattern of secretive extra-marital affairs. The fact that Brad also had them, could be seen as more proof of SODDI, as it is just more people who may have reason to want NC dead (although who would want Brad bad enough to kill for him is hard to imagine)
*I hate reading about Brad not loving his children, or only wanting them to avoid paying child support. I believe Brad is a major *advertiser censored**hole who more likely then not killed his wife, BUT I believe the carefully constructed facade of his being neglectful of his children is half male carelessness and the other half NC creation. She was known for embellishment. I know men who wouldn't watch their small children, even for their wife to run to the grocery. I know men who would rather get a root canal then play with their children in swimming pools. These men (including my father) are good parents, they just have difficulty knowing how to interact with SMALL children. They may get better as the children get older. BC doesn't strike me as a particularly affectionate or demonstrative man, but I just don't have any doubt he loved his children dearly BASED ON THE EVIDENCE in regards to the actual interactions in testimony and in discovery.
What do I think? I know you don't care :crazy: but I do think he killed her. I think it was a perfect storm. While I refuse to blame the victim, I do believe NC helped create the storm, and I also think she sensed she was doing it. The sleeping fully dressed and barricading the door (and you know, I don't believe that was a regular thing. I think that may have occurred once or twice, and then she just liked the sound of it so continued it to explain how much danger she was in, danger she could sense but did not truly believe how bad it really was) and other comments she let drop that she knew that Brad killing her was a possibilty. The idea that she couldn't leave is a ridiculous one to me, she was not leaving because she was following the lawyers advice, and she wanted to make sure she didn't walk away "losing". But did she want to be right and "win" or did she want to be alive and safe? She saw what was inside Brad. I believe she sensed that he could be pushed to murder her, and in some way she was afraid. Yet, she covered it up and just continued on, screaming at him about money, mocking him in front of other people, pushing, pushing, pushing.
I believe she knew he was capable of this, and yet she thought it would never happen to her.
I also think the jurors may find him innocent if we don't get any better evidence.
Unfortunately, the wiped phone may be what lets him go.
I learned in "Sociology of Murder" (best class ever!) which went into victimology and juror bias that black women jurors are more likely then any other gender group to believe the police are corrupt and lying.
(While I have it in my text, I did find this article which discusses it:
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1997/02/24/1997_02_24_054_TNY_CARDS_000376407 )
This has gone on way too long, and I'm sure I'll be thrown from the forums for these opinions LOL, so back to lurking.
