IMO the talking heads usually get it wrong. Let's hope that's the case here. I don't think for one second she was under any pressure. I think the pros. Should focus on what a poster on here said the other day, about how she seemed to control their finances, and she probably gave Grant the money for purchases like saw and coolers.
GUILTY NC - Laura Ackerson, 27, Kinston, 13 July 2011 #6
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IMO the talking heads usually get it wrong. Let's hope that's the case here. I don't think for one second she was under any pressure. I think the pros. Should focus on what a poster on here said the other day, about how she seemed to control their finances, and she probably gave Grant the money for purchases like saw and coolers.
borndem
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Did you notice how very quickly after her name was said that the camera guy went to black & no audio? Hard to say who is at fault...
It's happened before -- when a juror reports over-hearing a comment about the trial, etc., the juror reports it to the bailiff who reports it to the judge. The judge brings in "Juror No. 6" or whichever and often says, "Mr. SoandSo, I have received your note...." and they discuss. It's done in the courtroom so it will be on the record. I've seen this several times. It happens...
Amanda's daughter Sha was asked to go their apartment and sell the furniture to someone from Craigslist. She received $400 deposit and told Amanda that she would go to the bank when she had received the full $700. Amanda told her to immediately deposit the $400, so Sha did that. It meant that she had to go to the bank twice to satisfy her mother's demands.
What that tells us it that Amanda wanted the money immediately. We know that Grant had no income so when Amanda had cash, it's likely that some of it went to Grant.
I hope that the prosecution drives it home that Amanda was wearing the pants in the family in terms of controlling the finances, expecting that Grant do the house cleaning, ordering Sha around, taking advantage of Sha, attempting to also take advantage of her friend (now husband) Matt, and that she is the only connection between the murder and the location of the body.
borndem
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I feel sure the camera man (Chad, prolly) went to black w/no audio because of this. They try to be discreet for the jurors but it happens. It's rare to see a trial where this does not happen. It's the cost of showing them live. I also feel sure it will be edited out before it goes to archive.
Notice that GH's issues with Laura deteriorated rapidly once AH entered the picture. IMO, this is no coincidence. By no means am I giving GH a pass, but I think AH's determination to obliterate Laura may have sent a "crazy" GH over the edge into a totally psycho GH who ended up doing what he did. She was behind this, I have zero doubt. She is evil to the core.
Another thing. I don't think this woman "gets" that this is all about the murder of Laura Ackerson. To AH, this is all about herself, and the unfairness of it to her! It's insignificant to her that Laura is dead - slaughtered and mutilated. She's so evil that she actually thinks of herself as the one being treated unfairly. Maybe she has convinced herself of these lies she is telling. Oh wait, maybe she studied method acting at "the conservatory." The only authentic thing she conveys is her indignation with everyone else including GH, Laura, Sha, both of her sisters, Becky Holt.
She might as well have just called Becky "stupid" out loud. She thinks she the smartest one in the room. She definitely has street smarts, but can't pronounce big words for carp.
I would love to hear her ex-husband's kids dish about this mooching parasite. She has never in 40 years done anything with her life except deplete funds she hasn't earned. Her sisters are right, except "selfish" is an understatement.
She might as well have just called Becky "stupid" out loud. She thinks she the smartest one in the room. She definitely has street smarts, but can't pronounce big words for carp.
I would love to hear her ex-husband's kids dish about this mooching parasite. She has never in 40 years done anything with her life except deplete funds she hasn't earned. Her sisters are right, except "selfish" is an understatement.
borndem
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Might they call one of the inmates who was mentioned during the cross to contradict what she said that she didn't say(!)? Not the best to end with for sure unless one of them was a plant & worked for or was LE.
Myvice
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Even though AH held it together pretty well on the stand I still think the jury will get it right. She stresses that so many of her decisions are based on what's best for the kids.
That's a bit of a stretch when you consider Sha didn't even live with her mother for her entire childhood. Plus she made no moves to get them away from GH during the custody battle or after LA was killed.
In addition to that it's pretty clear she cared very little for Sha when she involved her by having her take the kids and clean out the apartment and all the errands she was asked to do.
I can't believe the jury won't recognize that AH went out of her way to implicate her own child and her sister. The defense even brought up the fact that there were numerous places on their route where they could have disposed of the body.
She also said that they didn't talk about LA on the way to Texas but GH threatened to throw Lily out of the window. Why would that come up in any other context?
If AH didn't realize what had happened why didn't GH just go get rid of the body so they could move out and leave no evidence? Who keeps a dismembered body for a week?
I sure hope the state pushes that once the cops had taken AH she didn't tell them of her fears of GH and her fears for "the children". <rant off>
That's a bit of a stretch when you consider Sha didn't even live with her mother for her entire childhood. Plus she made no moves to get them away from GH during the custody battle or after LA was killed.
In addition to that it's pretty clear she cared very little for Sha when she involved her by having her take the kids and clean out the apartment and all the errands she was asked to do.
I can't believe the jury won't recognize that AH went out of her way to implicate her own child and her sister. The defense even brought up the fact that there were numerous places on their route where they could have disposed of the body.
She also said that they didn't talk about LA on the way to Texas but GH threatened to throw Lily out of the window. Why would that come up in any other context?
If AH didn't realize what had happened why didn't GH just go get rid of the body so they could move out and leave no evidence? Who keeps a dismembered body for a week?
I sure hope the state pushes that once the cops had taken AH she didn't tell them of her fears of GH and her fears for "the children". <rant off>
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Thank you! I just woke from a nap. Pain meds do that to me but I didn't expect that I would sleep when I left here earlier.
I don't know if you have watched the links that TigerBalm sent yet and I'm behind with the posts so somebody else may have already given you an overview. But Jason Young is a slimy snake of the same caliber as AH. Maybe worse if that's possible. He supposedly left his home, toddler, and pregnant wife in Raleigh and drove to Hillsville, VA for work. There is a lot of evidence that proves he drove back to Raleigh in the middle of the night and murdered his wife, cleaned up the toddler, and drove back to Hillsville just as though he never left. The following morning he left the motel in Hillsville to see a business contact and then left there and drove to his mom's home in the mountains of NC. That's where he fell to his knees sobbing when the news came that Michelle's sister had found Michelle dead, based on a phone call Jason had made to the sister to get some papers out of his home printer....thus getting the sister over there to 'find' the body and take care of the child the following day. His mom and step dad drove with him back to Raleigh that night, he says he talked to an attorney who advised him not to talk to anybody about the case. So he didn't....for something like 7 years. Not a soul in the police department had talked with him, nobody from the DA's office--he refused to talk with anybody and everybody so that left every person involved in the investigation blind-sided. He was finally arrested so much time later and only when he testified on his own behalf in court did LE, Becky Holt, us, and everybody else in the world hear what he had to say for the first time. Of course he denied it and everything was so proper with yes ma'am, thank you, etc. The direct was non-eventful but at least we/the world got to hear his story. Then Becky began the cross and it was flat. She was slow, she didn't ask the proper questions, the entire cross was was almost a waste of time and she blew the heck out of it. It's so seldom that a defendant takes the stand we were all surprised and I understand it caught her off guard but she did just horribly and then ended her cross. None of us could believe it. The jury was hung so a mistrial was declared. He was tried the second time and Becky was still on the second trial but another ADA was helping her, I can't remember his name right now--he drives me crazy too. He's has the most seniority in the Wake Co. DA's office and is good but is slow and annoying too. Anyhow, Jason Young didn't take the stand the second time but the prosecution played his videoed testimony from the first trial and that's how they were able to trip him up on several things that Becky didn't think quickly enough to do the first time when she had a chance. The second jury found him guilty. If you get a chance to watch her cross of Jason Young in the first trial do so as it will make you want to cry, it's just so horrible. This cross with AH was much better, still lacking a lot though in my opinion. BH doesn't fire back quickly enough and can't think on the run so to speak. She is a smart woman and does a good job in apparently every area except crossing a defendant. I hope there isn't another high profile case that she's involved in with the cross examination. I shudder to think.....
I don't know if you have watched the links that TigerBalm sent yet and I'm behind with the posts so somebody else may have already given you an overview. But Jason Young is a slimy snake of the same caliber as AH. Maybe worse if that's possible. He supposedly left his home, toddler, and pregnant wife in Raleigh and drove to Hillsville, VA for work. There is a lot of evidence that proves he drove back to Raleigh in the middle of the night and murdered his wife, cleaned up the toddler, and drove back to Hillsville just as though he never left. The following morning he left the motel in Hillsville to see a business contact and then left there and drove to his mom's home in the mountains of NC. That's where he fell to his knees sobbing when the news came that Michelle's sister had found Michelle dead, based on a phone call Jason had made to the sister to get some papers out of his home printer....thus getting the sister over there to 'find' the body and take care of the child the following day. His mom and step dad drove with him back to Raleigh that night, he says he talked to an attorney who advised him not to talk to anybody about the case. So he didn't....for something like 7 years. Not a soul in the police department had talked with him, nobody from the DA's office--he refused to talk with anybody and everybody so that left every person involved in the investigation blind-sided. He was finally arrested so much time later and only when he testified on his own behalf in court did LE, Becky Holt, us, and everybody else in the world hear what he had to say for the first time. Of course he denied it and everything was so proper with yes ma'am, thank you, etc. The direct was non-eventful but at least we/the world got to hear his story. Then Becky began the cross and it was flat. She was slow, she didn't ask the proper questions, the entire cross was was almost a waste of time and she blew the heck out of it. It's so seldom that a defendant takes the stand we were all surprised and I understand it caught her off guard but she did just horribly and then ended her cross. None of us could believe it. The jury was hung so a mistrial was declared. He was tried the second time and Becky was still on the second trial but another ADA was helping her, I can't remember his name right now--he drives me crazy too. He's has the most seniority in the Wake Co. DA's office and is good but is slow and annoying too. Anyhow, Jason Young didn't take the stand the second time but the prosecution played his videoed testimony from the first trial and that's how they were able to trip him up on several things that Becky didn't think quickly enough to do the first time when she had a chance. The second jury found him guilty. If you get a chance to watch her cross of Jason Young in the first trial do so as it will make you want to cry, it's just so horrible. This cross with AH was much better, still lacking a lot though in my opinion. BH doesn't fire back quickly enough and can't think on the run so to speak. She is a smart woman and does a good job in apparently every area except crossing a defendant. I hope there isn't another high profile case that she's involved in with the cross examination. I shudder to think.....
NCEast
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To anybody new on WS. I learned a long time ago to copy/paste anything I write on here that is long or that took me some deep thought to write. I am so happy I copy/pasted the overview above because when I got ready to send it I had timed out and couldn't get back on here. I switched broswers and got right back on. So take it from me and copy/paste anything important, long, etc. before you try to send it so that it doesn't get lost out there somewhere.
And with respect to the Jason Young thing I just sent, please somebody correct anything that I may have been wrong about.
And with respect to the Jason Young thing I just sent, please somebody correct anything that I may have been wrong about.
Good post. And when your own sister and kid implicate you with their testimonies, that's pretty damning. (Although they both walked a fine line, IMO.)
And the total and complete lack of remorse or even acknowledgement that a human was murdered by the defendant is damning as well. She wasn't freaked out that Laura was dead and dismembered. Even in her mostly made-up story, she was unable to incorporate any compassion for the murder victim.
NCEast
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What did I do?
NCEast
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I've been thinking along these lines as well. It would prove she is yet again lying but it's not a smash up ending that I would like. Unless there is more to it than meets the eye right now. Or!! do you think they may call GH to testify?? I would love that.
borndem
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If that happens, I'm sure she would & must report it to Judge Stephens via the bailiff, and His Honor would speak with her, and if he thought it necessary, he could dispatch the Sheriff's personnel in a flash. He has that jurisdiction, and he has used it before.
NCEast
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That's right. And when it comes right down to it, what's the difference than if we had been in the courtroom and had seen her and/or heard him mention her name? Nothing really.
Did AH ever say what she was doing on the 14th when Sha had the boys? We know she had to watch the baby and she said she was cleaning. (She tells us that Grant cleaned the bathroom.) There are pictures of the couch on craigslist and the room doesn't look clean. And remember Sha was also cleaning up when she found the saw manual in stacks of paper on the counter (after LE had finished up there.) She (AH) couldn't have been vacuuming, since she says she needed a vacuum. There are pictures in evidence of the baby room/office/music room being cluttered. What did SHE say she was doing all day on the 14th, because I think it shows she wasn't cleaning/packing for Kinston? I think I remember her saying that GH showed up right before Sha - so he was there. And also, she was at Target at 5ish (I think), so GH was without a vehicle for that period - where was he and what was he supposedly doing then?
CarolinaMoon
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I got back an hour ago, and had a smooth trip. Now, we are scheduled for snow starting about 6 PM, due to last about 24 hours with possibility of sleet/rain to end it all. That means instant ice-pack when the water gets into the snow! Hopefully it will melt down over the weekend.
Thank you all for guiding me through the end of a most bizarre day in court. I'll be here all day tomorrow (doubt there will be court in session) and Friday. Crossing my fingers the prosecution closes strongly. I have no predictions about Gaskins, though.
Thank you all for guiding me through the end of a most bizarre day in court. I'll be here all day tomorrow (doubt there will be court in session) and Friday. Crossing my fingers the prosecution closes strongly. I have no predictions about Gaskins, though.
All I recall is her saying they didn't get much done because they were talking. She talked to Sha, gave the boys to Sha, talked to GH, got the vacuum and food delivered by Sha, went to Target. She had no explanation for what she did. But it sure was urgent for Sha to take he boys asap in the morning so they could do not much that she can recall.
Ann-Tx
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Per WRAL "closings", Wake County courts closed tomorrow, 2/13/14.
Wake County Courts Closed
Expires Thursday at 4:00pm
http://www.wral.com/weather/closings/?category=all&filter=w
WRAL - Raleigh, NC --- as of 2/12/14 -- Closings: W
Wake County Courts Closed
Expires Thursday at 4:00pm
http://www.wral.com/weather/closings/?category=all&filter=w
WRAL - Raleigh, NC --- as of 2/12/14 -- Closings: W
Irish_Eyes
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I can't wait to catch up on today's testimony.
I hate writing things that make me feel like I'm defending Amanda, because I don't like her. I think she has been self-focused and dragged and dropped SG all over like a piece of luggage for years. That said, in my experience this is almost always the other way around.
GH's actions are sooo textbook here. These guys play on the new woman's maternal instincts. Even if they had little to do with their kids beforehand, they suddenly become concerned dad trying his best with a crazy ex-wife/GF.
The purposes are twofold here. Laura was raising GH's kids, so in narc-world that means she pretty much needs to shut up and do what she's told. I think the longer Laura was away from St. John, the more independent she was becoming of Grant and that caused conflict. Going for the custody jugular was the only way for Grant to keep control of Laura and the boys. Grant wouldn't have been able to do that without Amanda's money. So he presents himself to Amanda like the concerned, caring dad and Laura like the crazy train. He plays on Amanda's maternal instincts, knowing she will want to help the kids if she truly believes they are in a bad situation.
What did I say the other day about I thought he wanted to have Lily to help his chances in the custody case? Amanda pretty much confirmed this for me yesterday when she basically said that Grant told her they had to get married because it would look better for the custody case.
Also, you don't have to be meek or stupid, etc. to get taken in by one of these guys. They are excellent liars with no conscience. Think of how long Ted Bundy had Ann Rule fooled, and she was a former cop and certainly no dummy. So Amanda being a strong personality when she wants to be doesn't really matter to me. Again though, she's still responsible for her actions.
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