GUILTY NC - Laura Ackerson, 27, Kinston, 13 July 2011 #6

Irish_Eyes said:

I can't wait to catch up on today's testimony.

I hate writing things that make me feel like I'm defending Amanda, because I don't like her. I think she has been self-focused and dragged and dropped SG all over like a piece of luggage for years. That said, in my experience this is almost always the other way around.

GH's actions are sooo textbook here. These guys play on the new woman's maternal instincts. Even if they had little to do with their kids beforehand, they suddenly become concerned dad trying his best with a crazy ex-wife/GF.

The purposes are twofold here. Laura was raising GH's kids, so in narc-world that means she pretty much needs to shut up and do what she's told. I think the longer Laura was away from St. John, the more independent she was becoming of Grant and that caused conflict. Going for the custody jugular was the only way for Grant to keep control of Laura and the boys. Grant wouldn't have been able to do that without Amanda's money. So he presents himself to Amanda like the concerned, caring dad and Laura like the crazy train. He plays on Amanda's maternal instincts, knowing she will want to help the kids if she truly believes they are in a bad situation.

What did I say the other day about I thought he wanted to have Lily to help his chances in the custody case? Amanda pretty much confirmed this for me yesterday when she basically said that Grant told her they had to get married because it would look better for the custody case.

Also, you don't have to be meek or stupid, etc. to get taken in by one of these guys. They are excellent liars with no conscience. Think of how long Ted Bundy had Ann Rule fooled, and she was a former cop and certainly no dummy. So Amanda being a strong personality when she wants to be doesn't really matter to me. Again though, she's still responsible for her actions.

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otto said:

Strong or weak, murder is crossing the line. In this case, it required two people to agree. If one doesn't agree, then there are options. Amanda claims that although Laura was cut up in her bathroom, she didn't know anything about it. Instead, she said that because Grant put tape on the bathroom door handle, the children couldn't enter the bathroom and apparently she couldn't be bothered to enter it either. When the plans changed from moving to Kinston to a trip to visit her sister, she didn't question it. When Sha said that she wanted to visit relatives in Texas too, Amanda told her to quit being selfish.

Amanda claims that when Grant told her about Laura's murder, they were in Texas. She claims that Grant hid the murder/accidental death, later explaining that as a black man involved in the accidental death of a white woman, he would have no chance in defending himself. Amanda claims that she feared for Sha's life so she felt obligated to help Grant. Sha was a thousand miles away, so that is a complete disconnect. She claims that Grant had powerful gangster friends and he could order them to kill Sha. We have yet to have the murdering gangsters identified.

Amanda claims that she discussed the murder with her sister, and then Amanda, her sister and Grant brainstormed on how to dispose of the body, and whether Laura should be fed to the hogs or the alligators. There were plenty of times when Amanda and her sister were away from Grant and where they could have contacted authorities, but they didn't. Amanda claims that she was terrified of Grant, but she did nothing to get help. Instead, she enlisted other people to help her cover up the murder. When they were back in NC and she had complete access to phones, friends, and authorities, she forgot all about her fear and planned to open a daycare with Grant.

It comes down to right and wrong, and in this case, Amanda knew that what she did was wrong, and chose to do nothing to put it right. Meek or strong, there is no justification for not doing the right thing ... if indeed she was an accidental participant ... and I don't think that she was.

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MissSallyAnnie said:

I mostly read here to be informed! I watched Grant's trial, and now this one. Today when I read here that the cross exam by BH was disappointing, I watched the replay and decided to take notes as a juror might (I've served on a jury). Wow - my hand was numb by the end! These are just my own opinions, observations and theories. I have the advantage of seeing Grant's trial, his prison interview with WRAL and this trial, along with all the many threads on this site, so we all know things that the jurors haven't seen or read.

First, just a few of the many questions I wish BH had asked:

#1) Why would Amanda not let Laura hold her baby? She claims no animosity to Laura whatsoever, yet she says she turned her back and walked away without saying a word. Why so rude? Supposedly, this started the "scuffle", she is claiming Laura was the aggressor. Was she angry with Laura and why?

#2) Yesterday, BH asked about the video taken at her sister's house, where Amanda claimed to be in the shower, yet her voice is heard on the video saying "Honey"... don't the boys get to change the "poopy" diaper? (Paraphrasing) Amanda claims her sister, niece, Sha all sound alike! But do they all call Grant "Honey"???

#3) Why did she and Grant try to hire a different psychologist in the middle of the court appointed psych evaluation with Dr. Calloway? Amanda paid for everything, she had to have been informed about the details of the custody fight, she paid thousands and thousands of dollars for it.

#4) Amanda testified that she had a "stalker" who started to bother Grant after she moved to New York. When Grant went to the police, they told Grant it was probably time for him to leave the island. What?!? Hmmm...that made absolutely no sense if Grant was a victim of harassment and stalking. If that's the advice of the VI police, I don't want to go there Wasn't the fact really that Amanda was into Grant and wanted him with her? Even the smallest details she recounts are lies.

#5) How did Amanda feel when they realized that they had no money whatsoever? Before Grant, Amanda was living high, I mean a 3 bedroom apartment in Manhattan is not cheap, she spent her money on herself with her acting lessons, traveling, she was her own boss. Wasn't she angry when she realized that lifestyle was gone? Who did she blame for the lost fortune?

#6) Amanda testified that Grant told her that he was a millionaire, why did she not question that when she had to buy his plane ticket to NY? And, he showed up with just two suitcases. No light when on in Amanda's head at the very beginning of this relationship?

#7) What was Amanda's detailed history with her own daughter. Give us a detailed timeline of when she lived and cared for Sha on her own and her experience as a "single" mother. Did she feel closer to Laura's boys than her own daughter? Personally, I believe her bond with the Hayes babies were stronger than she ever had with Sha.

#8) How did she know about Dr. Calloway's recommendations if she didn't read the report or discuss it with Grant?

#9) At no time did Amanda think to call the police? She had many opportunities. What was the message left on Laura's voicemail. Did Amanda ask how she was feeling? After all, she didn't see her at all after Grant informed her that Laura was hurt, she didn't question this?

Many more questions, just as everyone else. My own personal theory and opinion is that Amanda was of the exact same mind set as Grant. Both perceived themselves as great artistic talents, who would make it big someday! Even before she met Grant, she spent quite a fortune pursuing her own dreams. They both blame others for their failures. She was angry when she found out that she didn't receive any of her mother's estate - yet her testimony on direct about her mother-she claimed they were all stuck with their mother at one time or another. Heartless comments to me. She was angry with her sister and Sha, believing they had talked to police? Very revealing of how her mind works!

I believe that both she and Grant conspired to kill Laura and lured her to the apartment. I believe they may have been nice to her once she entered the apartment to lure her inside. Once Laura realized what they were up to, she began possibly to say "no way" and argued with A&G. Grant had his knife and stabbed her in the neck. Laura made her way to the door, fighting for her life, when A & G jumped her and strangled her. From the TV interview from prison, Grant makes a statement that possibly explains the stain by the doorway. Bodily fluids and all, he didn't specify, as he didn't want to be "undignified".

I apologize for the lengthy post, but had to get it off my chest to others who may feel the same way. The juror's definitely have not "heard it all" as the judge would say, and I'm afraid that's going to be the problem with the 1st degree murder charge. I'm praying that the prosecution will tie it all together and that the jury will see the true picture. What an absolute travesty if this woman goes free. Thanks for listening:seeya:

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Irish_Eyes said:

Your points 1, 4, and 7 really stood out to me over these last few days. Yesterday I posted about her guilty-as-beck comments about chain smoking like crazy in the car. It just didn't make much sense to me to be that stressed over an innocent trip and fall. At the same time another poster was posting the exact same thing. So I feel like when we are watching this independently and several of us at the same time go "whoa!" then I feel like its a decent bet the jury is picking it up too.

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NCEast said:

Thank you! I just woke from a nap. Pain meds do that to me but I didn't expect that I would sleep when I left here earlier.
I don't know if you have watched the links that TigerBalm sent yet and I'm behind with the posts so somebody else may have already given you an overview. But Jason Young is a slimy snake of the same caliber as AH. Maybe worse if that's possible. He supposedly left his home, toddler, and pregnant wife in Raleigh and drove to Hillsville, VA for work. There is a lot of evidence that proves he drove back to Raleigh in the middle of the night and murdered his wife, cleaned up the toddler, and drove back to Hillsville just as though he never left. The following morning he left the motel in Hillsville to see a business contact and then left there and drove to his mom's home in the mountains of NC. That's where he fell to his knees sobbing when the news came that Michelle's sister had found Michelle dead, based on a phone call Jason had made to the sister to get some papers out of his home printer....thus getting the sister over there to 'find' the body and take care of the child the following day. His mom and step dad drove with him back to Raleigh that night, he says he talked to an attorney who advised him not to talk to anybody about the case. So he didn't....for something like 7 years. Not a soul in the police department had talked with him, nobody from the DA's office--he refused to talk with anybody and everybody so that left every person involved in the investigation blind-sided. He was finally arrested so much time later and only when he testified on his own behalf in court did LE, Becky Holt, us, and everybody else in the world hear what he had to say for the first time. Of course he denied it and everything was so proper with yes ma'am, thank you, etc. The direct was non-eventful but at least we/the world got to hear his story. Then Becky began the cross and it was flat. She was slow, she didn't ask the proper questions, the entire cross was was almost a waste of time and she blew the heck out of it. It's so seldom that a defendant takes the stand we were all surprised and I understand it caught her off guard but she did just horribly and then ended her cross. None of us could believe it. The jury was hung so a mistrial was declared. He was tried the second time and Becky was still on the second trial but another ADA was helping her, I can't remember his name right now--he drives me crazy too. He's has the most seniority in the Wake Co. DA's office and is good but is slow and annoying too. Anyhow, Jason Young didn't take the stand the second time but the prosecution played his videoed testimony from the first trial and that's how they were able to trip him up on several things that Becky didn't think quickly enough to do the first time when she had a chance. The second jury found him guilty. If you get a chance to watch her cross of Jason Young in the first trial do so as it will make you want to cry, it's just so horrible. This cross with AH was much better, still lacking a lot though in my opinion. BH doesn't fire back quickly enough and can't think on the run so to speak. She is a smart woman and does a good job in apparently every area except crossing a defendant. I hope there isn't another high profile case that she's involved in with the cross examination. I shudder to think.....

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otto said:

Amanda's daughter Sha was asked to go their apartment and sell the furniture to someone from Craigslist. She received $400 deposit and told Amanda that she would go to the bank when she had received the full $700. Amanda told her to immediately deposit the $400, so Sha did that. It meant that she had to go to the bank twice to satisfy her mother's demands.

What that tells us it that Amanda wanted the money immediately. We know that Grant had no income so when Amanda had cash, it's likely that some of it went to Grant.

I hope that the prosecution drives it home that Amanda was wearing the pants in the family in terms of controlling the finances, expecting that Grant do the house cleaning, ordering Sha around, taking advantage of Sha, attempting to also take advantage of her friend (now husband) Matt, and that she is the only connection between the murder and the location of the body.

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Boodles said:

Notice that GH's issues with Laura deteriorated rapidly once AH entered the picture. IMO, this is no coincidence. By no means am I giving GH a pass, but I think AH's determination to obliterate Laura may have sent a "crazy" GH over the edge into a totally psycho GH who ended up doing what he did. She was behind this, I have zero doubt. She is evil to the core.

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otto said:

If the rebuttal witness is to impeach the defendant's testimony, then it could result in a murder conviction. I would like to see closing arguments draw a clear connection between:

• the incident that resulted in Laura's death, when Amanda was present,
• Amanda's decision to take the children out while Grant hid the body in the bathroom,
• clear explanation that when Sha had the children, Grant and Amanda were cutting up the body,
• quick change of plans from packing and moving to visiting Texas
• description of Amanda fearing for her life and then planning a life with Grant

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aa9511 said:

Now husband???!!! Are you kidding me???!! OMG. Are you serious???? AggghhhhhH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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