Laura Babcock Murder Trial 12.06.17 - Closing Arguments - Day 2

[brightii]

I guess the question that you have to ask yourself is for what purpose do you want the jury to know that they have murder convictions?

How does that information assist the jury in deciding this case?

I think this is a great question that requires more thought to answer, and I want to pay attention to the Crown's closing in the moment, but my gut reaction is simply that I am sick of dangerous criminals being given special considerations by the law while the victims are often dumped on in court, IMO.

All MOO

 

[Jasper52]

Lisa Hepfner‏@HefCHCHNews

Justice Code has two short instructions before Cameron starts.

At the end of Dungey's closing, he said something to the effect of, his client has no knowledge of what happened to #LauraBabcock. We don't have evidence that #Smich was unaware. Dungey misspoke. "You should completely disregard that submission."

Also, both Dungey and #Millard made efforts to invite the jury to speculate on why the crown didn't call certain witnesses, like Christina Noudga. The jury shouldn't speculate. The crown may have good reasons, and doesn't have to explain why she does or doesn't call a witness

"There are rare, rare cases when a jury has been instructed to speculate on why a witness wasn't called. This is not one of those cases," Justice Code tells jury there's no basis for any adverse inference.

Jill Cameron: "Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen," She starts. They return the greeting. Cameron is playing the #Smich rap song.

Now a shot of #LauraBabcock, "Laura started off all skin and bone. THen she lay on some ashy stone. Last time she was seen was outside the home. And if you go swimming you can find the phone" This is not a made-up story, Cameron says.

"I'm not going to yell," Cameron says, or make them feel uncomfortable with the weight of the. decision in front of the jury. #LauraBabcock used her phone, her bank card, her health card.... all those things stopped happening July 3rd.

It's been five and a half years. #LauraBabcock always left a footprint behind, Cameron says. The big picture, the incinerator, the witnesses, the letters written by Millard. "Her last footprint was in their company."

 

[meterclicks]

"Remember, it is when all those things were happening, that Laura vanished. Her last footprint was in their presence," Cameron says -- also tells the jury to think about the "improbability of coincidence."
by Adam Carter 2:00 PM

7:03 p.m. on July 3 was Babcock's last "footprint," Cameron says. Then she shows the photo of the blue tarp. Mentions the barn smell check. The cremation search on the photo. Then the bones burning in the incinerator.
by Adam Carter 2:02 PM

 

[ab-initio]

"We've got all these factors to consider when looking at her lifestyle as a woman who went missing," Dungey says.
by Adam Carter 11:01 AM

Dungey suggesting Babcock was saving up money "to take off."
by Adam Carter 11:02 AM

This would be a plausible explanation for disappeared VS deceased if there wasn't evidence that she left a chunk of that money at her parents' place before she disappeared.
If she was saving up money to take off, the inference remains that something nefarious happened BECAUSE it was left.

 

[meterclicks]

Cameron says all the coincidences, combined with Smich's rap, are too many to count. "Laura did not choose to disappear. That defies logic and common sense," Cameron says. "If Laura had travelled, she would have left a footprint."
by Adam Carter 2:02 PM

Cameron says if Laura wanted to run away, she didn't have to sneak anywhere illegally.
by Adam Carter 2:03 PM

 

[meterclicks]

Cameron says if Laura was running away, why not take her suitcase? Why not take her dog, or her phone, or iPad. "It makes no sense ... to leave them all behind makes no sense. These are the very things you would take if you were going away."
by Adam Carter 2:04 PM

Cameron says that Babcock talked to her mother often - contacted her 21 times in 7 days. "She had no reason to completely cut them out of her life."
by Adam Carter 2:05 PM

 

[Jasper52]

Lisa Hepfner‏@HefCHCHNews

"Think about the improbability of coincidence." 7:03 pm July 3rd was the last time #LauraBabcock was heard from. 19 hours later, the tarp photo. Then the "barn smell check." The google search about cremating humans. And while the bones were burning, #Smich was writing his rap.

"That is no coincidence, that is murder. Laura didn't choose to disappear. That defies logic or common sense.... if Laura had travelled, she would have left a footprint."

She had only worked in the escort business for a month. The witnesses from the industry were trying to help her in some way. She never said she was going on a trip and never coming back.

Why did she leave her suitcase, the cash, her beloved dog behind if she was leaving? These are the very things you would take if you were going away.

 

[Bluepopsicle]

I guess the question that you have to ask yourself is for what purpose do you want the jury to know that they have murder convictions?

How does that information assist the jury in deciding this case?

Your posts always make me think, and question my own thinking, which I appreciate.

I guess for me I feel like prior actions of a person says a lot about their future actions. In this case specifically, I would assume most people aren’t capable of such atrocities. It bothers me that there could very well have been evidence of Laura’s body in that incinerator if only they would have found it months earlier. It seems to me that it’s strictly blind luck for the accused, that there is as little forensic evidence as there was.

That being said, with what little knowledge of the legal system I have, and I’ve learned a lot from you all by following along, I can appreciate our rights as citizens, and I’m grateful for the system (flaws and all) that we have.

 

[ab-initio]

Is this the way Dungey has to frame it?

To my way of thinking, if I was a juror, his backing up of the arguments of the now disliked Millard would discredit him in my eyes. I mean, I can listen to him arguing no evidence against his client, but linking his train to DM's unbelievable storylines ...well I don't know....seems like it's a wrong move (but maybe there was some kind of agreement between defense teams?) or maybe I am too idealistic to be a lawyer lol

Divide + Conquer got them both convicted of M1 in the past.
Perhaps the appearance of a united front (inasmuch as not pointing fingers or offering alternate explanations to DM) will serve his client better, he feels?

 

[meterclicks]

Cameron says it "defies all logic and common sense" that Babcock would not contact her parents in a five and a half year period if she was still alive.
by Adam Carter 2:06 PM

"This is not a convincing dream," Cameron says, referencing Millard's close from yesterday. "This is a nightmare. Laura did not commit suicide or overdose. If she did, we would have her body."
by Adam Carter 2:07 PM

"You have no evidence that this happened. None," Cameron says, about the theory that Babcock OD'd, or died by suicide.
by Adam Carter 2:07 PM

 

[Jasper52]

Lisa Hepfner‏@HefCHCHNews

June 26 and July 3 there are 21 phone calls between #LauraBabcock and her mother. "She had no reason to cut them out of her life for five and a half years." Laura would be 28 now. Her parents haven't moved. Think of all the occasions that have passed.

"No one described #LauraBabcock as cruel. She would not have done this to her parents. this is not a convincing dream. This is a nightmare." Babcock family mostly weeping in court.

 

[Errrr]

I think he made some pretty ludicrous, thunderous statements. "They weren't incinerating LB, they were incinerating a DEER!"
Overall, he did okay. I predict the crown will do better though.

I think TD is aware his client appreciates a good performance. His objective is to make sure his client gets his money's worth.

 

[meterclicks]

Cameron said Babcock had suffered from depression, but she reached out if she was in trouble, and sought help.
by Adam Carter 2:08 PM

Cameron says that Babcock was not suicidal, and was "terrified of dying."
by Adam Carter 2:09 PM

 

[FastLikeLight]

This would be a plausible explanation for disappeared VS deceased if there wasn't evidence that she left a chunk of that money at her parents' place before she disappeared.
If she was saving up money to take off, the inference remains that something nefarious happened BECAUSE it was left.

and the dog

 

[Jasper52]

Lisa Hepfner‏@HefCHCHNews

If #LauraBabcock killed herself in their presence, or had a drug overdose, where is her body? Why didn't anyone call an ambulance? If after being in their presence on July 3rd she went off to kill herself, why not tell Shawn Lerner? Why did #Smich say "we killed a girl."

She had struggles with mental health & sought help most recently in April. She was not suicidal. Didn't like her parents' rules or chores. Was terrified of dying and always had been.

Laura was happy two days before she disappeared. Crown is playing the meowing video. "This is Laura right before she vanished."

 

[meterclicks]

"How was Laura two days before she disappeared?" Cameron asks. "She was happy." Now shows video of Babcock on video, imitating a cat's meow. Her mom smiles, in the body of the court.
by Adam Carter 2:10 PM

Now Cameron is speaking about Gabe Austerweil, who testified that he saw Babcock in a nut store in Toronto in October 2012. "He was unable to recognize not one but two images of Laura -- the actual Laura," she says.
by Adam Carter 2:11 PM

 

[Shaz14]

I wish I was in the courtroom this afternoon :scared:

 

[meterclicks]

Cameron says he cannot be trusted to "accurately identify Laura." "He did not see her."
by Adam Carter 2:12 PM

Cameron also says Brad Dean did not see Babcock on July 3.
by Adam Carter 2:13 PM

 

[meterclicks]

Cameron says witnesses who have testified about seeing Babcock or speaking with her have been "mistaken about dates and times." She says Babcock only had one phone.
by Adam Carter 2:14 PM

Cameron now says she's going to trace Babcock's footsteps in her last days. On June 26, she went for dinner with Shawn Lerner. That night, she has numerous phone and text conversations.
by Adam Carter 2:15 PM

 

[Jasper52]

Lisa Hepfner‏@HefCHCHNews

On Austerweil, the ex-boyfriend's father who thought he saw #LauraBabcock in a nut store after her disappearance. He didn't tell the Babcocks because he decided that she wanted to be missing. He didn't approach her.

Austerweil recognized #LauraBabcock's face and voice in the store, but not in two actual examples of her image. He "maintains that photo of Laura is not Laura." No offence to Austerweil... but he is mistaken, crown says.

Bradley Dean was credible. He admitted meeting #LauraBabcock through the escort service, and dated others through the escort service. He was sure and his phone records show that he did not see her July 10th, 2012, as he first told police.

"Laura Babcock had one phone." And her account stayed open for some time after she went missing, receiving messages.