GUILTY AL - Kathleen "Kat" West, 42, murdered, Calera, 13 Jan 2018 *husband arrested*

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Subiechik21 said:
I know this article was already posted, but she finally updated the information in the article.
‘I would not hurt my wife’: Jeff West told police in interrogation after Kat West’s death‘I would not hurt my wife’: Jeff West told police in interrogation after Kat West’s death
Click to expand...

I was wondering about his prints on the liquor bottle used to kill Kat West

"Payne showed how the prints were outlined by investigators and what he revealed could be seen as some of the strongest evidence yet against Jeff West.

"The position of the prints of Jeff West’s left thumb and left ring finger, according to the testimony of the analyst, indicated the bottle was held in an inverted position. In other words, the prints indicate the bottle was held upside and by the bottle’s “throat” rather than its base."
 
Betty P said:
I was wondering about his prints on the liquor bottle used to kill Kat West

"Payne showed how the prints were outlined by investigators and what he revealed could be seen as some of the strongest evidence yet against Jeff West.

"The position of the prints of Jeff West’s left thumb and left ring finger, according to the testimony of the analyst, indicated the bottle was held in an inverted position. In other words, the prints indicate the bottle was held upside and by the bottle’s “throat” rather than its base."
Click to expand...
Her parent's are still standing by him in a "united front" though, SMH!
 
Friday, Nov. 20th:
*Trial continues (Day 4) (@ 10am CT) – AL – Kathleen Dawn “Kat” West (42) (Jan. 12, 2018, Calera) – *William Jeffrey West (44/now 46) (husband) arrested (2/22/18), indicted (3/7/18) & arraigned (4/9/18) with murder. Held on $500K bond. Plead not guilty. Bond reduction denied.
Trial began with jury selection on 11/16/20 & trial began on 11/17/20.
Court info from 8/23/18 thru 11/16/20 re jury selection & Trial 11/17/20 Day 2 reference post #837 here:
AL - Kathleen "Kat" West, 42, murdered, Calera, 13 Jan 2018 *husband arrested*
11/18/20 Wednesday Day 2 of Trial: State witnesses: Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputy Luigi Ragazzoni (former Calera Police) continues testimony. Bodycam shown to jurors. Calera police evidence technician (no name given). He photographed West’s home. Jurors shown photos of inside the house. The attorneys argued over showing text messages between Kat & Jeff from the weeks & days before Kat's death. The texts show the couple arguing & show nude photos Kat sent of herself to her husband. The Judge Bill Bostick decided to allow the photos to be submitted as evidence & presented to the jury. Will be shown tomorrow. Today ended just after 4pm because of sewage issues in the courthouse. The judge wants this trial to come to an end on Friday, which could mean a long day tomorrow. Trial continues on 11/19/20.
11/19/20 Thursday Day 3 of Trial: State witnesses: Steven Payne, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency print examiner, detailed for jurors the identification of Jeff West’s fingerprints on the liquor bottle. Jurors viewed screenshots of text messages between the couple, one from 12/20/2017 & 1/4-10/2018. Both within a few weeks of Kat’s death. Lead investigator Calera Sgt. Mike Mehlhoff. Jurors watched a 90-minute video of police questioning Jeff West on the day that his wife’s body was found. Robbins said his client was at the Calera police station for seven or eight hours that day. Hannah Payne, a scientist with the Alabama Dept. of Forensic Sciences, said she received roughly 40 items from the scenes to process for blood & DNA evidence. The medical examiner is expected to testify Friday as the state’s final witness. Robbins said he could put on as many as 10 witnesses for the defense. Trial continues on 11/20/20. It’s not clear yet whether Jeff West will testify. Nancy Martin, Kat West’s mother, is expected to testify for the defense.


 
Really terrible. How will she feel about this if he's proven guilty? I feel badly for Kat. She didn't seem to have many people in her life who really loved or supported her.

Kat West’s mother testifies in Jeff West’s defense at murder trial

The article also says Jeff West is expected to take the stand in his own defense this afternoon. I hope the prosecution gives him a good grilling.

The mom is backing up the husband's story that she fell while dancing around in the nude outside. I'll be more inclined to believe she indulged in that habit if any of her neighbors testify to the same.

The autopsy report is very clear that Kat was killed with the absinthe bottle. The ME can tell from the characteristics of the head wound.

"Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences pathologist Dr. Stephen Boudreau said the laceration to Kat West’s skull was two inches long with the skin split open and contusions surrounding the wound.

The force of the blow and subsequent brain bleed, Boudreau said, pushed the brain down to the stem with deadly results.

“It was a considerable amount of force to cause an injury like that,” the doctor said. Kat West would likely have lost consciousness immediately, he said. “Scalp wounds bleed like mad...it’s (the brain) a very vascular structure.”

BBM

The ME testified it was not likely that she got the blunt force trauma to her head from a fall. She was only 5'2" tall.

Whatever it was that caused her head injury had an edge, but it was not sharp.

The wound would have immediately begun to bleed profusely and she would have lost consciousness. That means she got the head injury right where she was found or very close by. There was no blood found elsewhere in the area - in the street or lawn. No trail of blood from having been injured elsewhere. In an unconscious state, she could not walk into the street from the trampoline or utility box.
 
Last edited:
Here's some tweets from today....

Malique
@MaliqueRankin
·
5h
We are now beginning day four of the Kat West murder trial. We’re expected to hear from the medical examiner this morning. Follow along for new developments. @CBS_42

4h
Dr. Stephen Boudreau, an expert in forensic pathology, conducted the autopsy on Kat West. He said a significant amount of force must have been used to cause Kat’s head injuries. He said it’s pretty unlikely a fall could have caused this injury.

Pathologist says because of the nature of Kat’s injury, if the injury did not occur in the area where her body was found, there would have been a blood trail. There was no blood trail.

Kat’s BAC was .23, nearly 3x the legal limit. Her eye fluid alcohol content was .284. The context of this shows Kat was more intoxicated earlier in the night than her BAC shows.

3h
In recess. The state is expected to rest once we resume. The the defense will call their witnesses to the stand. Yesterday, West’s attorney said we can expect Kat’s mother to testify.

The judge and Jeff West’s attorney John Robbins said we can expect to see Jeff take the stand and testify in the murder trial of his wife, Kat West.

3h
Kat’s mother, Nancy Martin is the first witness the defense has called to take the stand.

“She could not just drink one drink... she’d said I’d need another one,” said Nancy Martin, Kat’s mother, while testifying in court. The defense is arguing Kat West was drunk and had a fatal fall.

2h
Martin said her daughter would get drunk, go outside skimpily dressed and barefoot. Martin said she’d run around outside, and sometimes jump on the trampoline.

The state will not be cross examining Kat’s mother.

Jeff West changed his mind in testifying, saying instead he will exercise his right to remain silent. The court allowed West to confer with his and Kat’s family members about taking the stand. His attorney has also advised him on the repercussions testifying can carry.

The defense rests. Extended lunch break now before we resume with closing arguments.

32 min
Closing arguments expected to begin in moments


link: https://twitter.com/MaliqueRankin
 
Niner said:
Here's some tweets from today....

Malique
@MaliqueRankin
·
5h
We are now beginning day four of the Kat West murder trial. We’re expected to hear from the medical examiner this morning. Follow along for new developments. @CBS_42

4h
Dr. Stephen Boudreau, an expert in forensic pathology, conducted the autopsy on Kat West. He said a significant amount of force must have been used to cause Kat’s head injuries. He said it’s pretty unlikely a fall could have caused this injury.

Pathologist says because of the nature of Kat’s injury, if the injury did not occur in the area where her body was found, there would have been a blood trail. There was no blood trail.

Kat’s BAC was .23, nearly 3x the legal limit. Her eye fluid alcohol content was .284. The context of this shows Kat was more intoxicated earlier in the night than her BAC shows.

3h
In recess. The state is expected to rest once we resume. The the defense will call their witnesses to the stand. Yesterday, West’s attorney said we can expect Kat’s mother to testify.

The judge and Jeff West’s attorney John Robbins said we can expect to see Jeff take the stand and testify in the murder trial of his wife, Kat West.

3h
Kat’s mother, Nancy Martin is the first witness the defense has called to take the stand.

“She could not just drink one drink... she’d said I’d need another one,” said Nancy Martin, Kat’s mother, while testifying in court. The defense is arguing Kat West was drunk and had a fatal fall.

2h
Martin said her daughter would get drunk, go outside skimpily dressed and barefoot. Martin said she’d run around outside, and sometimes jump on the trampoline.

The state will not be cross examining Kat’s mother.

Jeff West changed his mind in testifying, saying instead he will exercise his right to remain silent. The court allowed West to confer with his and Kat’s family members about taking the stand. His attorney has also advised him on the repercussions testifying can carry.

The defense rests. Extended lunch break now before we resume with closing arguments.

32 min
Closing arguments expected to begin in moments


link: https://twitter.com/MaliqueRankin
Click to expand...
Thank you for these updates. I know we shouldn't look at his refusal to testify as an admission of guilt but I can't help it
JMO
 
Synergizer Bunny said:
This reminds me of Vikki Lozano's mother who stood by her womanizing cop husband who murdered her. It disgusted me. Vikki's mother even let Bobby and his new wife live at her home. I just had to shake my head in disbelief. Former Denton police detective sentenced to 45 years for wife's 2002 murder | wfaa.com
Click to expand...

That's terrible! How could a parent treat their own child so badly? Are these situations where the mother is such a toxic narcissist that she envies her own daughter and feels she must compete with her?
 
Niner said:
Here's some tweets from today....

Malique
@MaliqueRankin
·
5h
We are now beginning day four of the Kat West murder trial. We’re expected to hear from the medical examiner this morning. Follow along for new developments. @CBS_42

4h
Dr. Stephen Boudreau, an expert in forensic pathology, conducted the autopsy on Kat West. He said a significant amount of force must have been used to cause Kat’s head injuries. He said it’s pretty unlikely a fall could have caused this injury.

Pathologist says because of the nature of Kat’s injury, if the injury did not occur in the area where her body was found, there would have been a blood trail. There was no blood trail.

Kat’s BAC was .23, nearly 3x the legal limit. Her eye fluid alcohol content was .284. The context of this shows Kat was more intoxicated earlier in the night than her BAC shows.

3h
In recess. The state is expected to rest once we resume. The the defense will call their witnesses to the stand. Yesterday, West’s attorney said we can expect Kat’s mother to testify.

The judge and Jeff West’s attorney John Robbins said we can expect to see Jeff take the stand and testify in the murder trial of his wife, Kat West.

3h
Kat’s mother, Nancy Martin is the first witness the defense has called to take the stand.

“She could not just drink one drink... she’d said I’d need another one,” said Nancy Martin, Kat’s mother, while testifying in court. The defense is arguing Kat West was drunk and had a fatal fall.

2h
Martin said her daughter would get drunk, go outside skimpily dressed and barefoot. Martin said she’d run around outside, and sometimes jump on the trampoline.

The state will not be cross examining Kat’s mother.

Jeff West changed his mind in testifying, saying instead he will exercise his right to remain silent. The court allowed West to confer with his and Kat’s family members about taking the stand. His attorney has also advised him on the repercussions testifying can carry.

The defense rests. Extended lunch break now before we resume with closing arguments.

32 min
Closing arguments expected to begin in moments


link: https://twitter.com/MaliqueRankin
Click to expand...

Thanks, Niner! It sounds like Jeff West's attorney didn't think his story could stand up to cross examination by the prosecution.

The physical and digital evidence against West is strong. Let's hope the jury agrees.
 
Subiechik21 said:
Here is another local reporter's Twitter page, she is sharing some stuff as well. She is the one writing the al.com articles.
https://twitter.com/RobinsonCarol
Click to expand...

The tweet at your link says the judge ruled he will not allow the jury to consider criminally negligent homicide. I wonder who requested that?

Also, below is a professional photo of a Lucid Absinthe bottle. It has a unique shape in that it's rounded at the top, but squares off at the bottom. The "squared" part of the bottle has rounded edges, hence the pathologist's opinion that her blunt trauma injury was caused by the bottle. If West held it by the neck, as his fingerprint indicates, he would have struck the left side of her head with the lower part of the bottle, with the rounded edges.

Lucid-Absinthe-Sup%C3%A9rieure-030-photo-copyright-Cheri-Loughlin.jpg


Second twitter down from the one linked above:

Criminally negligent homicide is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by one year in prison. “We were happy with all or nothing,” defense attorney says, objecting to reckless manslaughter.
Click to expand...

Apparently, the defense objected to a charge of reckless manslaughter. Will have to wait for more updates from reporters.
 
cocomod said:
How can her mother take his side? Just doesn't make sense. I will be interested to see how the jury comes in on this one.
Click to expand...
Maybe her parents are embarrassed about her being a stripper & her voyeurism, so they blame her for what happened to her. JMO, I can totally see that scenario playing out here, it is the bible belt after all & religious parents look down on that sort of behavior.
Please don't take my post as victim-blaming or shaming, I am just putting a possible scenario out there. I went through a period of time where my mother believed my lying, stealing, cheating boyfriend over me when he said I stole & pawned all of her heirloom jewelry when it was really him. She was embarrassed because I was pregnant at a young age & not married.
As a mother myself, I believe that her mother should stand behind justice for her daughter.
 
Betty P said:
The tweet at your link says the judge ruled he will not allow the jury to consider criminally negligent homicide. I wonder who requested that?

Apparently, the defense objected to a charge of reckless manslaughter. Will have to wait for more updates from reporters.
Click to expand...
SBM for brevity: Yes, I was just too lazy to link all of that, LOL, my apologies. That is why I just posted the link to her page:oops:
 
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