GUILTY Canada - Loretta Saunders, 26, Halifax, NS, 13 February 2014 #2

[kdgdid]

I am the opposite I think 1 trial will be confusing and my fear is if it is to confusing 1 or both may get off.

I really hope that the Judge rules that there is only one trial! It seems so nasty to stretch this out -- it is difficult for the family.

 

[otto]

If the two accused are tried separately, they will point fingers at each other. I wonder what grounds are argued for separation. Perhaps Henneberry's lawyer wants to argue that she was a coerced victim.

 

[newone]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-...estify-on-admissibility-of-evidence-1.2970756

''Blair Rhodes
@CBCBlairRhodes


Blake Leggette's lawyer also looking to get certain evidence excluded from the trial.''

 

[PonderingNS]

The trial starts Monday. The judge refused to exclude the evidence as Blake had ask and both will be tried in one trial .
There are several posts on news outlets and Twitter. Here is one:
https://twitter.com/cbcns/status/587975964610711552

 

[PonderingNS]

A CBC story on the judges rulings.
http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/canada/nova-scotia/loretta-saunders-murder-suspects-to-be-tried-together-1.3032066

Leggette's lawyer had been trying to get certain evidence excluded from the trial, which is scheduled to begin Monday.

In an oral decision delivered on Tuesday, Justice Josh Arnold rejected that request.

Lawyers for both Leggette and Henneberry were also trying to get separate trials for their clients. Arnold has also rejected that request.

"Obviously disappointed," Leggette's lawyer, Terry Sheppard said. The rulings "present a challenge," he added.

CBC News spoke with Miriam Saunders, Loretta's mother, moments after these decisions were announced.

"We're jumping for joy," Miriam Saunders said from her home in Labrador. She intends to attend the trial and had worried about the hardship it would pose for her and her family if there were two separate trials.

 

[PonderingNS]

I would think jury selection in this case will be difficult.

 

[PonderingNS]

I am sure this will be another very difficult week or so for Loretta's friends and family. I hope they have the strength to get though it with grace and dignity in this very difficult time. Sending prayers for the days ahead.

 

[PonderingNS]

After day one . 5 jurors picked. 1 woman. 4 men.
Loretta's mother and boyfriend on witness list.
Trial expected to take 4 weeks.

 

[PonderingNS]

Fibished picking jury today. 10 men - 4 women. Trial resumes at 2 pm tomorrow.
Her family is not happy with the jury. I don't think they understand the process perhaps.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1281860-saunders-family-despondent-after-jury-selection-in-murder-case

 

[LitCrit]

CBC has a correspondent providing a "live blog" of the trial proceedings for anyone following the case. Unfortunately a direct link will not open the stream,
and so anyone interested will have to navigate through the main page.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia

 

[PonderingNS]

Sudden end to trial as both plead guilty .
https://twitter.com/cbcalerts/status/590949201061773312

 

[PonderingNS]

They will return to court April 28 for formal sentencing.

 

[Miranda]

Crown prosecutor Christine Driscoll said she could not comment on specifics on the case, but said the cause of death for Saunders was asphyxia.

http://globalnews.ca/news/1953876/o.../?hootPostID=26e25cb938dd3940eab145132147a34b

Leggette pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and Henneberry pleaded guilty to second-degree murder

First-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence with no eligibility for parole for 25 years. Second-degree murder carries a life sentence and no parole eligibility of between 10 and 25 years

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/canada/nov...der-trial-both-accused-plead-guilty-1.3043424

 

[matou]

Both plead guilty. On phone, link everywhere

 

[dotr]

" Leggette’s lawyer said that his client was aware what the sentence would be, but insisted on a guilty plea because he didn’t want to put Saunders’ family through a difficult trial.

Saunders’ family members, some of whom had travelled from Labrador for the hearing, were provided with a private room in the courthouse after they heard the news"

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/courtr...uilty-in-murder-of-loretta-saunders-1.2339749

 

[matou]

Glad they both pleaded correctly and for the right reasons. If only more did this, there would be less heartache.

 

[kdgdid]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-...te-victoria-henneberry-plead-guilty-1.3043424 Link includes statements of facts from both BL and VH on how LS was killed

 

[PonderingNS]

Statement of facts says they killed her because they didn't have the rent money. Tried to strangle then suffocate her. I could not get the other statement of facts link to open so am posting this one incase anyone else has the same issue.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1282047-halifax-couple-plead-guilty-in-loretta-saunders-murder-case

 

[kdgdid]

Would appear from the article that BL's motives for pleading guilty may not of been totally altruistic IMO and the rumor about the journals found in his cell were true...http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-...rs-murder-written-by-blake-leggette-1.3044263

 

[Miranda]

I commend Loretta's family for their grace in dealing with this trash. 25 years doesn't cut it. Loretta and Yalcin would have been the parents of an 8 month old baby now.

Lucas opened the rolls and discovered a sheaf of 35 pages of paper. She told court she fanned through the handwritten pages and saw the word "weapon."

He also talked about spinning the story into gold.

In an entry dated March 7, 2014, Leggette wrote of Henneberry: "After everything I've done for her, she's become a rat." He wrote that Henneberry was talking "like a leaky faucet."

Leggette also wrote that he "put the wrong one in the bag."

"She will be going away for life," Leggette wrote. "Going to be blaming Victoria for it so I don't do life in prison."

It was after discussing the contents of Leggette's writings that there was an angry outburst at the preliminary inquiry in this case. One of Saunders's uncles lunged towards the two accused.

It was Saunders's own family who defused the situation, telling her uncle over and over again, "We're here for Loretta."

In the end, Leggette's guilty plea to first-degree murder meant he didn't have to explain the purpose behind his writings.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-...rs-murder-written-by-blake-leggette-1.3044263