GUILTY NC - Laura Ackerson, 27, Kinston, 13 July 2011 #8

[aa9511]

So if the saw makes a low purring sound, is that significant? So much other evidence - the bleach, the shopping trip, the bleach, the bathroom closed off, the bleach, Amanda's own words. It feels like the are getting into the minutiae, seems like they have some people who are not convinced.

Laura's dead body was in that apartment for days. Amanda didn't know? :banghead:

Yes, I feel ya. You read my thoughts.

 

[AnonymousD]

I don't know the noise difference between an electric and battery powered recip. saw but I tested our battery-pack one and it's much less noisy than I would have thought, about twice the volume of an electric razor. I can hear the electric razor down the hall or in the kitchen when its in use, so the saw would of course be noticable in an apartment, I'm sure. But I did try ours out in the bathroom to see, I can understand why some of the jurors would want to know, and was surprised throughout the trial that no one asked to have it plugged in so the jurors could hear it for themselves and put a dynamite charge to one of her 'I didn't know' defenses.

Battery powered hand held equipment is definitely lower noise than electric powered hand held equipment. It is also, normally, less powerful than electric.

My knowledge = growing up on & currently living on a farm. I also work at a farm/landscape equipment dealer.

 

[aa9511]

I don't know the noise difference between an electric and battery powered recip. saw but I tested our battery-pack one and it's much less noisy than I would have thought, about twice the volume of an electric razor. I can hear the electric razor down the hall or in the kitchen when its in use, so the saw would of course be noticable in an apartment, I'm sure. But I did try ours out in the bathroom to see, I can understand why some of the jurors would want to know, and was surprised throughout the trial that no one asked to have it plugged in so the jurors could hear it for themselves and put a dynamite charge to one of her 'I didn't know' defenses.

bbm

Yes, you're right. So the Judge was speaking of the Prosecution then, when he said I expected one of you to ask me if you could plug the saw in and let the jury hear it.

:banghead::banghead:

Why didn't they think of that???

You are so right, it would have completely nixed her whole claim!!

WHy didn't they think of it??! :banghead:

 

[AnonymousD]

I can hear water running in the bathroom from the living room. Not only did Amanda assist the night Laura was murdered, she assisted all the way to Texas. These are weird questions coming from the jury, in my opinion. :tantrum:

BBM

I hate to agree, but I do. I'm trying to make this work in my mind.

Where's Surfie? She's always a great voice of reason.

*paging SurfieTX*

 

[aa9511]

BBM

I hate to agree, but I do. I'm trying to make this work in my mind.

Where's Surfie? She's always a great voice of reason.

*paging SurfieTX*

Or Otto. Paging both of them!! LOL!

 

[Nymeria]

:floorlaugh: Me too! I am a major fan. I loved everything from the last names of people reflecting their occupations to the tip jar with the highest charge for the 'c' word. 'If we don't come down hard on these clowns, we're going to be up to our b*lls in jugglers!'

*Last O/T folks, promise!*

I am laughing just thinking about it :floorlaugh:

Oh, and the "Andrews" :giggle:

Question Cuckoo, when you are scrolling through the TV guide do you without fail hear in your head (or say out loud) "You ain't seen Bad Boys 2" when you see the movie is showing? I DO!

Hot Fuzz - You Ain't Seen Bad Boys II? - YouTube

 

[aa9511]

My hinky-meter went up on the very first question...what was that question, I've forgotten it now.

 

[AnonymousD]

My hinky-meter went up on the very first question...what was that question, I've forgotten it now.

They wanted a diagram of the apartment.

 

[Patchouliluvr]

My hinky-meter went up on the very first question...what was that question, I've forgotten it now.

Mine too. They wanted the 25k note and Laura's journal.

 

[borndem]

Let's hope they are just "making sure" of a couple of points, then going to lunch one last time and coming back, filling out the verdict form and are going to present their verdict. Lunches often precede verdicts in my experience. Crossing my fingers & toes & eyes. :scared:

P. S.... I was surprised and disappointed when Boz did not crank up the saw for the jury during their CIC. I think it would have been powerful evidence -- maybe he anticipated a big argument from the DT and just said THWI. Dunno. But the jury hearing it now would not be as the evidence was presented in the case, so it sounds to me like His Honor did the right thing. :twocents:

I can hear right now that it was improper to crank it during deliberations since it was not presented as evidence at trial -- in an appeal. "Highly prejudicial."

And I almost went out of my seat when JS said "the saw Grant Hayes used" (or however he said it) but Boz got that straightened out.

Lunch break til 1:30.

 

[Patchouliluvr]

They wanted a diagram of the apartment.

Oops I must have a memory problem, totally forgot that already.

 

[NCB]

I can't even imagine what that place must have smelled like with all the blood. Think of how loud a vacuum is in an apartment. I can't even imagine a saw cutting through bone. Sheesh...

 

[CUCKOOHEAD]

[/B]

bbm

Yes, you're right. So the Judge was speaking of the Prosecution then, when he said I expected one of you to ask me if you could plug the saw in and let the jury hear it.

:banghead::banghead:

Why didn't they think of that???

You are so right, it would have completely nixed her whole claim!!

WHy didn't they think of it??! :banghead:

I think the reciprocating saw in court if one the State believes is similar to the one used to dismenber LA. It is not the same one. IIRC that one was never recovered.

I don't think the State wanted to demonstrate the noise level of a saw that was consistent with the marks made to Laura's body. The State believes Grant and Amanda used a reciprocating saw because of the marks and the film showing Grant purchasing new blades for a saw that would be similar to the one the State showed the jury.

I think I have now confused myself....

 

[SurfieTX]

I really don't know what to think at this moment. I'll have to review the juror list to form some thoughts about it.

 

[aa9511]

Well, hopefully it's like a couple of you said, maybe they are just trying to firmly convince one juror. They don't want him/her to just sign on the line without being sure.

Hopefully?

 

[Truth Detector]

I apologize in advance for the gore, but this type of saw is significantly louder when striking a rigid, solid object (wood, bone, etc.) than if used on soft tissue.

The rapidly moving blade will have a tendency to 'jump' unless held firmly in place against a stationary solid object, including for example the victim's osseous matter.

Assuming her bones would have been held against the floor and/or the sides or walls of a tub enclosure the vibrations/sounds would have been conducted by those objects as well.

Check with a carpenter, plumber, construction worker or homeowner who cuts through items as thin as drywall, gypsum, or sheet rock. It sounds like the whole house is coming down.

Think of carving fowl or poultry with an electric knife, especially cutting through a bone or joint. As small as that is compared to the saws in question, these things cannot -- and were not -- done quietly, and probably not alone.

 

[Myvice]

The problem is there is no way to replicate the sound from where the sawing actually transpired. In the courtroom, which is much larger than the bathroom would have been, the sound would be much different. Also, the sound would change significantly when the blade came into contact with whatever was being cut.

A chainsaw, or any saw, gets much louder when it has to power through the object being cut.

Anyone that has had construction in their neighborhood knows how annoying a saw can be. And it isn't because they are quiet.

 

[aa9511]

I think the reciprocating saw in court if one the State believes is similar to the one used to dismenber LA. It is not the same one. IIRC that one was never recovered.

I don't think the State wanted to demonstrate the noise level of a saw that was consistent with the marks made to Laura's body. The State believes Grant and Amanda used a reciprocating saw because of the marks and the film showing Grant purchasing new blades for a saw that would be similar to the one the State showed the jury.

I think I have now confused myself....

No, I think I get it. So because this is not the exact saw, they didn't want to test the noise, b/c the noise might not be what the noise of the actual saw was. Is that right?

 

[mollynjack]

My fear is what if there is a juror who believes it to be loud and therefore grant did not use it in the apartment and our dear Amanda was actually unaware of what he did! Please tell me that such a juror doesn't exist!!!!!

 

[SurfieTX]

Juror No. 1: White female. Exercises with a family law attorney. Parents got divorced when she lived in the Bahamas when she was 5.....and her mother lived in Scotland. She went to boarding school in England when she was 11. At 16 she moved to NC.

Juror No. 2: White male. Worked at a store Grant visited after the murder. ?Foreman?

Juror No. 3: White male. Bruins fan. Was a snowmobile racer in the past.

Juror No. 4: Black female.

Juror No. 5: White female.

Juror No. 6: White male. Redskins and Hurricane fan.

Juror No. 7: White female, worked for state attorney general's office; however, J#7 said she can be unbiased. UNCW accounting grad, now works with children at YMCA. Parents divorced when she was 4. She lived with mom, her brother lived with mom. "Caught blurb on TV about" Ackerson murder; didn't know Grant Hayes was convicted. Watches ABC-11 in the morning; for weather and traffic. "I hear about murders, but I'm just trying to get ready for work" Mother is a construction lawyer; J#7: "I could hear her talking about it when I was little, but it was boring." (Prior juror defense peremptory challenge).

Juror No. 8: White female. Oncology nurse attached to Rex Hospital. Asked if she's ever met a pathological liar; she answers yes, husband of former coworker who served in Afghanistan. Testifies that friend who was married to pathological liar had 2 wives at the same time; "he was very charismatic ..." "He was just a homeboy from Tennessee." Juror No. 8 says friend's ex-husband concealed second marriage for 14 years. When she was younger, Juror No. 8 was a paralegal specializing in medical cases in Charleston, S.C

Juror No. 9: Latino female who is a paralegal who helps those with immigration issues. Doesn't "really look at news sites or TV." She looks at Internet daily on her Yahoo email page, doesn't watch TV crime dramas (Second juror excused. First juror excused defense peremptory challenge)

Juror No. 10: White female. Has NO knowledge of Grant or Amanda Hayes, Grant's trial or anything related to Laura Ackerson's death. Sister is a probation officer in Wake County; has one friend who is member of Raleigh PD, friend who quit RPD in 2010. Peace College graduate, has been married for 4 months; husband has been Raleigh firefighter for 12 years. Birth father gave up custody of her and her brother after divorce; her stepfather formally adopted them. Doesn't have cable TV; she predominately watches Netflix for entertainment. Ex-husband cheated on her and stole money from their joint bank accounts (Dismissed a third time Dismissed by the Judge. First juror dismissed defense peremptory challenge).

Juror No. 11: Black female. Admits she is a fan of "Murder She Wrote." Says she enjoys "Murder She Wrote" because she likes mysteries; says she can keep open mind in this trial. Read stories about Grant's case but mis-remembered some of the details. Divorced because her ex-husband had an affair for indeterminate time.

Juror No. 12: Middle-aged white female. She has two children - 17 y/o who lives with her, 14 y/o who lives with child's father Bachelors degree in psychology: however, "I must've missed the day we talked about sociopaths." She was threatened by anonymous female caller from a blocked number a few years ago; filed police report but suspect never found. (State dismissed with peremptory challenge first no. 12)

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