MD - Phylicia Barnes, 16, Baltimore, 28 Dec 2010 #9

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I desperately want justice for Phylicia, too. Unfortunately, though, if Michael Johnson walks there may be no real recourse. I doubt he and/or Deena have many assets that would make filing a wrongful death lawsuit a viable option. This case just breaks my heart.
 
A man was indicted by the grand jury for the murder of Rochelle Denise Battle who went missing March 6, 2009. Her body was never found.

http://helpfindthemissing.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-11869.html

If my memory is correct, all they found was a small piece of Rochelle's clothing on the suspect's property. She met him on Craig's List.

There has to be something that they can convict MJ on for the murder of Phylicia. If MJ originally had seen Phylicia coming out the bathroom with a towel on, where is the towel? What all did they collect at the apartment?
 
Baltimore County has had two cases of a murder without a body convictions. All the evidence against Jason Gross was circumstantial; phone records showed they talked, I believe cell pings put them in same area, surveillance cameras showed them heading to the alleged meeting spot, and Jason lied about his alibi. The prosecution said that Jason burned Rochelle's body in an incinerator in his yard but I don't think they ever found anything that showed that.

However, Baltimore County prosecutors are good at their job....I do not have the same faith in Baltimore City prosecutors or in Baltimore City juries.

Sun48shine said:
A man was indicted by the grand jury for the murder of Rochelle Denise Battle who went missing March 6, 2009. Her body was never found.

http://helpfindthemissing.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-11869.html

If my memory is correct, all they found was a small piece of Rochelle's clothing on the suspect's property. She met him on Craig's List.

There has to be something that they can convict MJ on for the murder of Phylicia. If MJ originally had seen Phylicia coming out the bathroom with a towel on, where is the towel? What all did they collect at the apartment?
Click to expand...
 
If you Google Earth the Conowingo areas for bridges and creeks leading out to the Susquehanna River, there are bridges on the Cecil County side. One bridge is past a mobile home park around Mt Zoar Road. I wonder if this bridge could have been the spot where Phylicia' s body was originally placed in the water?
 
Sun48shine said:
I hope 17,000 pages of documents by the prosecutors was not a total waste. Will the FBI take the stand? They had requested social network pages and cell phone records.
Click to expand...

Wasn't there some talk about some messages MJ posted to one of Phylicia's Fb prayer pages in the days after she went missing? Did LE gain access to those posts?
 
MissSunshine said:
Baltimore County has had two cases of a murder without a body convictions. All the evidence against Jason Gross was circumstantial; phone records showed they talked, I believe cell pings put them in same area, surveillance cameras showed them heading to the alleged meeting spot, and Jason lied about his alibi. The prosecution said that Jason burned Rochelle's body in an incinerator in his yard but I don't think they ever found anything that showed that.

However, Baltimore County prosecutors are good at their job....I do not have the same faith in Baltimore City prosecutors or in Baltimore City juries.
Click to expand...

Yeah Sunshine, but that's in Baltimore County where they have logical and rational thinking people who become jurors. This is a Baltimore Jury!!!
 
So defense only called one witness, a co-worker of MJ.

Here is a twitter feed to the closing arguments

https://twitter.com/TVTerp

Brian Kuebler ‏@TVTerp
Jury will have 2 charges on verdict sheet. If not guilty on 1st degree, #Phyliciabarnes jury instructed to move on to murder in the second.

Brian Kuebler ‏@TVTerp
State told jury #Phyliciabarnes had everything to live for. "What happened?" It asked. "Deena Barnes happened."

Brian Kuebler ‏@TVTerp
State: "take each piece and put it all together and when you do, it supports 1st degree murder."
 
Here's some good news (hope) from Live Updates, Baltimore Sun-

Jurors may have another charge to consider in deliberations — prosecutors moved to add a second-degree murder charge on top I the first-degree charge Johnson already faced.
 
AmandaReckonwith said:
Here's some good news (hope) from Live Updates, Baltimore Sun-

Jurors may have another charge to consider in deliberations — prosecutors moved to add a second-degree murder charge on top I the first-degree charge Johnson already faced.
Click to expand...

I can't see the live updates through Baltimore Sun anymore...I ran out of my free pages for the month :(
 
Brian Kuebler ‏@TVTerp
Defense is in middle of closing. On a 30 min break. Spent first hour shooting holes in State's theory on MJ killing

Brian Kuebler ‏@TVTerp
"The state wants you to see this case from 30000 feet" the defense said. Says #Phyliciabarnes jury needs to look from ground level

https://twitter.com/TVTerp
 
Brian Kuebler ‏@TVTerp
Defense admits criminal who testified to seeing #Phyliciabarnes body is the State's key witness. Spent a while discrediting his testimony.

Brian Kuebler ‏@TVTerp
Defense to jury: "when you thin slice it the theory makes no sense". Still no physical evidence MJ killed #Phyliciabarnes
 
I know there was supposed to be an older gentleman who claimed he saw Phylicia but I am going to guess the defense did not call him because it could hurt their case more than it could benefit it. IMO, the only defense they are trying for is that State doesn't have a case.
 
JoyLepolaStewart ‏@jlepolastewart
Defense pokes fun at video of Johnson in Walmart calling it a distraction and asking if they're trying to imply he's a serial tote buyer

JoyLepolaStewart ‏@jlepolastewart
Defense says it's undisputed that there is no evidence placing Michael Johnson near dam

JoyLepolaStewart ‏@jlepolastewart
Defense argues in closing that Johnson only had small window to pull this crime off

https://twitter.com/jlepolastewart
 
AmandaReckonwith said:
What happened to the defense witness who saw Phylicia alive in Cecil Co?

Wasn't there another too?
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I guess they decided they didn't need him. And I'll go further to say the prosecution put forth enough inconsistencies with their witness testimony, they pretty much wrapped that end up for the defense. :banghead:
 
Cubby said:
Bump to the current page.


The defense called Jeffrey Stillman, a co-worker of Johnson’s at a roof shingle manufacturing company, who testified that Johnson was “a good worker.”

Stillman also said Johnson called out sick Dec. 28, 2010, the day Barnes disappeared.
Click to expand...




Update at 1:43pm on February 4th -- Arguments address circumstantial evidence

Lawyers on both sides of the trial against Michael Maurice Johnson acknowledged the circumstantial nature of evidence in the case, with prosecutors asking the jury to view the case broadly with common sense, but defense attorneys highlighting the inconsistencies.
 
JoyLepolaStewart ‏@jlepolastewart
State says I'm calling Michael Johnson a murderer not a moron during closing

JoyLepolaStewart ‏@jlepolastewart
State just finished presenting closing Looking at jury prosecutor says there's only one person who threw up red flag at every turn that's MJ

JoyLepolaStewart ‏@jlepolastewart
Russell Barnes just walked by and said "I feel good!"

https://twitter.com/jlepolastewart

Brian Kuebler ‏@TVTerp
Closing arguments are wrapped. Jury is charged. Deliberations to begin shortly. #Phyliciabarnes #barnestrial

Brian Kuebler ‏@TVTerp
Barnes family is praying in a corner on the 5 th floor of courthouse east. #Phyliciabarnes

https://twitter.com/TVTerp
 
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