2011.05.04 Verdict Watch

[Palomine]

What I perceive as controlling is Brad's failure to get Cisco to work on a green card for Nancy. Legally she could not work - Brad could have helped his family a good deal by getting on Cisco to get that card. After 7 years in the U.S., if he wanted her to have one, she would have had it. Seems pretty controlling to me - you can't work, you can't have your own money, do as I dictate attitude from the beginning as far as I can tell. Much like the kids, Nancy was simply a possession, nothing more IMO I should add.

He reminds me of my brother in law..he didn't think twice about borrowing money from our Father...until my Father said no more. Which is what Nancy's Dad said no more.
I think Brad didn't get Nancy a green card because he did not want her to be independent

 

[cityslick]

There were two things testified to that I thought gave a glimpse into the hidden life inside the house. One was when Nancy wanted to buy a balloon or something for the birthday party. Brad wouldn't give her the money and someone else (I believe it was her sister) offered to give her the money and Nancy said something like, "No. I would just be in trouble at home."

The other of course was watching her own house waiting for the lights to go out. What was she avoiding in that house?

BBM

This is only speculation, but I believe she thought he would confront/argue with her over her ripping into him at the party in front of everyone. She was waiting for him to go to sleep because she didn't want to deal with him that night.

I don't think she was fearful/afraid or anything like that. There has been testimony that she was at the point that night that she couldn't stand the sight of him. Most just want to avoid that person, deal with it the next day.

 

[kar]

From all the information provided in the trial and accompanying documents the closest you can come to allegations of domestic abuse would be mutual abuse. Certainly nothing one-sided on the part of BC.

Her lack of a way to support herself and the children (no green card) and his taking the passports seems pretty one-sided to me.

 

[cityslick]

What options do you think she had? If he had the passports could she take the children back to Canada? I don't think so but I am not sure.

But - emotional abuse is still abuse. And in response to someone else's comment that she told people about 'hate Brad days' or whatever she called them - it doesn't matter who she told, that does not negate the fact that he was abusive.

BBM

I can't speak for Mr. Rentz, but if that was my daughter and she told me that he took her passport as well as the kids, I'd fly down and kick the door in, asking him for it until the cops were called.

That's just me though.

 

[kljohnson0458]

Thank you everyone for your very heartfelt and personal responses to my "could you be objective" question.

I believe every female, with the exception of one, who has experienced domestic violence or emotional abuse is firmly on the BDI.

This is telling, because 10 of these jurors are female. Therefore, I would think a few of them have experienced some sort of domestic and/or emotional abuse at some point in their lives. And my bet is the majority of these 10 women have had a female family member or close friend experience abuse.

With that information, I think a guilty verdict may be more likely than I had initially anticipated.

I believe, given these stories, this is worth posting. If you or someone you know in this area is experiencing abuse, please visit this page: http://www.interactofwake.org/

I agree. That is exactly what I thought after reading responses to your question. It has touched their lives in some form or fashion.

 

[Cheyenne130]

But keep in mind that the abuse you are speaking of was all in the context of a couple that is divorcing. So many of you are stretching the truth it is unbelievable. You want to talk about a ballon that he didn't buy in 2008 but forget about the BMW she was driving or the diamond around her neck.

The issue wasn't the balloon. That was just a trigger. The issue is that she told her sister that she would be in trouble when she got home.

 

[Bottle Cap]

But keep in mind that the abuse you are speaking of was all in the context of a couple that is divorcing. So many of you are stretching the truth it is unbelievable. You want to talk about a ballon that he didn't buy in 2008 but forget about the BMW she was driving or the diamond around her neck.

People buy their poodles diamond collars. If the poodle would rather have a balloon, well tough. It's only a poodle, it doesn't get to decide.

 

[cityslick]

Thank you everyone for your very heartfelt and personal responses to my "could you be objective" question.

I believe every female, with the exception of one, who has experienced domestic violence or emotional abuse is firmly on the BDI.

This is telling, because 10 of these jurors are female. Therefore, I would think a few of them have experienced some sort of domestic and/or emotional abuse at some point in their lives. And my bet is the majority of these 10 women have had a female family member or close friend experience abuse.

With that information, I think a guilty verdict may be more likely than I had initially anticipated.

I believe, given these stories, this is worth posting. If you or someone you know in this area is experiencing abuse, please visit this page: http://www.interactofwake.org/

BBM

I wonder if that was one of the questions asked when picking the jury and if that would of eliminated them

 

[TallCoolOne]

BBM

I wonder if that was one of the questions asked when picking the jury and if that would of eliminated them

Now that you brought that up, anyone know do they make the juror form public after the trial, or no?

 

[ncsu95]

What options do you think she had? If he had the passports could she take the children back to Canada? I don't think so but I am not sure.

But - emotional abuse is still abuse. And in response to someone else's comment that she told people about 'hate Brad days' or whatever she called them - it doesn't matter who she told, that does not negate the fact that he was abusive.

She could have left and not gone to Canada. Her family could have supported her. She could have stayed with friends (we know some offered). She could have gone to a shelter. She could have gone to court to try and force a separation that would have allowed her to take the kids back to Canada. Most importantly, she could have presented a reasonable separation agreement that didn't try to devastate BC financially, and maybe he would have actually signed it. There is reason to believe he would have since he agreed to her going initially. Maybe she needed to adjust her thinking on what the lifestyle of a single mom actually was. That probably wouldn't include stuff like private schools for her kids. I fully believe if she had presented something even remotely fair, he would have signed it. But she wanted him to pay and to pay big. She wanted to continue to live the life she was accustomed to. I wouldn't have signed it either. Not a chance in hell would I have signed it. And I wouldn't have let my wife take my kids to another country without my consent. That doesn't make me an abuser.

 

[SleuthinNC]

Her lack of a way to support herself and the children (no green card) and his taking the passports seems pretty one-sided to me.

He consistently gave her money and she refused to get her own bank account. Her friends gave her money, her parents gave her money, who knows where else she was getting money, she certainly wasn't honest with anybody about her money situation so I don't think anybody really knows what is the truth about her money situation.

He wanted 1 passport so nobody could make unilateral decisions regarding the children.

Truth be told I think the "I want to spend as much time with the children over the summer and then you can leave and I never want to see you or them again" was another nannerism. Far more likely the conversation went like this NC tells BC "You better spend all the time you can with the girls because at the end of the school year we are moving to Canada and you will never see them again." Followed by BC taking the passports.

Just going back to that common sense argument that gets thrown around here all the time.

 

[Lori59]

As far as the green card......I don't understand why Brad wasn't busting his butt to help Nancy, so that she could work. Such a contradiction, he complains about lack of money and too much spending, yet doesn't do the one thing that could have enabled them to have more money. For me, it shows another sign of his controlling Nancy.

 

[TXredhead178]

BBM. Gracie I couldn't agree more with your post and I have lived in a physically abusive relationship at the ripe old age of 19 to 25. I went to work every day, when I didn't have a black eye or a busted lip, smiled and carried on but was beaten down and torn apart inside and to this day, feel that sadness come over me from time to time. NC lived with this as well because sometimes emotional abuse is as bad or worse than physical and too often the emotional abuse turns to physical violence against the victim especially when they decide to fight back. That is what I did and narrowly missed being shot to death by my boyfriend 30 odd years ago. With the help of my friends who could see this happening, I was able to get away and back to my family. I think that is why these kinds of stories and trials pull me in because I can relate to the pain. Now we'll wait and see what the jurors think.

I have also been down this road, including surviving a murder attempt (stabbing). I know the sheer terror, after the initial attack, of being pinned to the floor by someone much bigger & stronger than me, knife to my chest, thinking surely I am about to die. To this day I don't know exactly how I managed to escape, except that I must have fought back tooth and nail. I sustained injuries that could have killed or paralyzed me for life. I feel very lucky to be alive with no permanent injuries. But the emotional scars will be with me for a long time to come.

I know firsthand the horror NC must have felt in the last moments of her life, and I pray for justice for her, her daughters and the rest of her family.

 

[GhostCrab]

People buy their poodles diamond collars. If the poodle would rather have a balloon, well tough. It's only a poodle, it doesn't get to decide.

I think you see domestic violence because you want to see it. This is as much of "divorce" issue as it is a domestic violence issue. I worked in family law and this is tame compared to some of the things I've seen. Forwarding emails, limiting money, emotional abuse in front of children, this is unfortunately not that uncommon. Please point out testimony or some sort of evidence that he behaved like this before the divorce started to come about in the winter of 2008.

 

[ncsu95]

Wasn't it NC's sister that testified BC was a real jerk about his own daughters birthday party and why didn't the other children bring their own food or something to that affect. I find that totally understandable coming from a father that dotes on his daughters so much. BC that is what REAL parents do for their children's birthdays. If you don't have the money, then don't plan the party.

Again, that went to money though. They set a budget for the party and she went way over the budget.

 

[yeknomaras]

is the feed ever going to come back after the break? that was like 30 mins ago..

hellooo? anyone know?

 

[ncsu95]

BBM

I can't speak for Mr. Rentz, but if that was my daughter and she told me that he took her passport as well as the kids, I'd fly down and kick the door in, asking him for it until the cops were called.

That's just me though.

He didn't take Nancy's passports. He took both kids passports and offered to give her one so neither had both.

 

[Madeleine74]

There's no feed that I can find on WRAL at all.

There's the ABC feed that has been out of commission for the last 45 min.

That leads me to believe that filming inside the courtroom is not going to be a continuous or even a steady thing. Only when there's something that actually happens, like the judge gives some further instructions or reads a note from the jury.

 

[kljohnson0458]

I'll be curious to see if the jurors don't break for lunch. We know what that means. They are getting close. My abc video is just sitting there black screen saying Loading Video.

 

[jrb0124]

Pretty much the same as any other "husband/boyfriend kills wife/gf".....defense always claims rush to judgment and police ineptness.

It is possible to to read and follow so many of these stories that you become jaded to the fact that it actually happens sometimes (rush to indict, police misconduct).

In this case its obvious both happened, but some may not be able to see it through their preconceived notions.

So, yes - you missed that this case is unique.