NC - Laura Ackerson, 27, Kinston, 13 July 2011 #9

[MissSallyAnnie]

Another day to be ashamed to be a NORTH CAROLINIAN! I am going to say BYE for now.

The positive side of the equation for me where this case goes was the MISSING PERSON INVESTIGATION. LE is getting better and better in NC. news agencies are getting really good at jumping on these cases early so we can solve them. We can be proud of our LE. As for our courts, there is work to do!

When are we going to understand the value of public safety in NC?

seeya:a part of me wishes they HAD watched SHAE's testimony now!):seeya:

No, don't be ashamed! If you want to feel shame, come live in California! NC is a beautiful state

 

[luckyme]

She will get out and go see Grant!!!!!!!

 

[MissSallyAnnie]

So, we'll see everyone same bat-time, same bat-channel for Abaroa? I missed it the first time around.

I may join in if they ever post a correct trial date! I'm hooked in now. :scared:

 

[MissSallyAnnie]

IMO, the jury got it wrong, and the State screwed up in the indictment. Sad, but I'm glad she got murder.

But the sentencing guidelines do suk. You murder someone and get out in 13 - 16 years? That's too lenient. Here's hoping somebody holds her to 16.4 years, and that the parole board is reminded of the way Laura's body was desecrated. Heck, I may track her and remind her parole board of this. There is no one in Laura's family except her dad to stand up for her.

And there is a wrongful death charge pending, too. I hope it hangs over her head forEVER.

I am very sorry to see that lying pays".

Yes, her poor Dad. And yes, I hope the civil suit takes every last penny she once she's out, and it follows her the rest of her life.

 

[geevee]

Final Deliberation Clock:

Monday: 1 hour 15 minutes

Tuesday: 3 hours, lunch break, 2 hours, break (20 minutes), 1 hour 10 minutes (6 hrs, 10 min.)

Wednesday: 1 hour, 20 minutes, break, 1 hour 40 minutes, lunch, 45 minutes, break, 35 minutes (4 hours, 20 minutes)...Verdict

Total: 11 hours, 45 minutes

Verdict: Guilty - 2nd degree murder

Sentence: 157 - 198 months, minus time served

 

[aa9511]

Well, I still have mixed feelings over this verdict. M2 to me means something like, for example, you are in an argument with a person in the kitchen....the person is screaming and yelling, you are both screaming and yelling - suddenly you just grab a knife in a rash of anger and plunge it into the person. That would be M2, IMO.

So did the evidence in this case show M2? Wouldn't that mean that something happened in a rash up in that apartment? That it wasn't planned? Like, for example, Laura went up to the apartment, Grant and Laura started arguing, and he got so enraged that he picked up his Apple cord (that just happened to be lying there on the table) and strangled her with it. Does that make sense? The cord, or whatever the murder weapon was, would have had to have been lying right there. Or he choked her with his arms, but that would take some time to kill her, he would realize after a second or two what he was doing and drop her. Or if he kept going, that would be premeditation b/c he knew what he was doing.

There is, IMO, not any evidence that it was an accident like she fell over the chair. That would not immediately kill her, if at all. There was carpet there. What kind of accident could have possibly happened?

Instead of any evidence pointing towards any of the above, instead we have Grant luring Laura to the apartment, and we have a pre-written note. An obviously fake note. What would the purpose of that note have been in an accident or M2-type situation?

I don't know.

Anyway, IMO it was pre-meditated by Grant and Amanda, and so IMO she is not getting the amount of years she deserves in prison.

 

[MissSallyAnnie]

I was thinking the same thing about tracking her. As I watched her during the verdict being read I decided I definitely want to go visit her at some point during her incarceration. I have no idea why, I just do.
Micheal Peterson was in prison right down the highway from me and I wanted to visit him too but I swear, that man creeps me out so badly I don't think I could have gone without a 357 in my purse.

Very interesting. If you go, what would you say to her? I'm afraid if I went for a visit, I'd be thrown in there with her.

And speaking of Michael Peterson, is NC going to retrial that murdering freak?

 

[Boodles]

And no matter where she is, she will for the rest of her life be a convicted murderer.

Who cut up and threw a young mother's body parts into an alligator infested creek. Try to shake that stigma when you get out, murderer.

 

[Irish_Eyes]

Oh wow. I just picked my son up from the library and took him to his friend's house and came home and there's a verdict! I'm okay with murder two but I'm so, so sad for Laura. Please someone tell me that those boys will be able to know her friends and family and get to learn how much she loved them and how hard she fought for them.

If WRAL throws up a video of the verdict and sentencing can someone link? I'd like to watch it.

Will she get to raise Lily one day? Open question. Probably if she and Grant are still lovey dovey in five years and his parents don't object. But let's not forget that Amanda has been convicted of committing murder in her daughter's presence. So if Grant's parents want to fight that, they probably have a decent case.

 

[MissSallyAnnie]

She will get out and go see Grant!!!!!!!

How true!

 

[Ann-Tx]

Video: Amanda Hayes verdict and sentencing

http://www.wral.com/news/video/13331969/
WRAL - Raleigh, NC -- 2/19/14

Amanda Hayes is found guilty Feb. 19, 2014, of second-degree murder and sentenced to 13 to 16 years in prison after a four-week first-degree murder trial for the July 13, 2011, death of Laura Ackerson.
Today - 4:04 p.m.

 

[Boodles]

Yes, her poor Dad. And yes, I hope the civil suit takes every last penny she once she's out, and it follows her the rest of her life.

Oh! And Texas should try her for dumping acid and illegally disposing of a body. And those sentences should be required to be served after her NC sentence.

 

[Irish_Eyes]

Sometimes M2 includes depraved indifference. I think it might have been enough for the jury to say that the proof wasn't there that the murder was planned, or at least that AH was part of the planning, but that they don't buy the tripping story, and they know Grant has already been convicted of murdering Laura, so pretty much they might have just said it was enough that Amanda knew Grant was hurting her and she didn't try to render aid, call 911 etc.

 

[borndem]

That she was there, that she participated, but was not fully responsible.
Thats how I take it, anyway.

That there was no premeditation or deliberation on her part -- that's the main diff. between 1st & 2nd. First degree must have both.

 

[aa9511]

Like someone else said, I wish JS would have really laid into her. He didn't do that with GH, either, but he got M1. TBH I was disappointed with his words (paraphrasing): she could have saved her but she didn't. No, IMO, she actually helped CAUSE her death. She actually WANTED her to die. I am honestly very disappointed, I wish he had just said nothing at all rather than that. The way he said it was more like, she was a by-stander who didn't do anything. Like you see a car hit a person on the street, and you just stand there and do nothing. He did go on to say: instead she participated in the killing. So that's like, you see the car hit the person, you stand there, then you go over and smash the guy's head in the ground a few times, then leave. IMO, what Amanda did is, along with Grant, set up the car and the driver to hit the person.

Sigh.

 

[NCEast]

Very interesting. If you go, what would you say to her? I'm afraid if I went for a visit, I'd be thrown in there with her.

And speaking of Michael Peterson, is NC going to retrial that murdering freak?

I may get thrown in there with her too MSA! I am not one of her fans but I would love to get some insight from her directly. And to check out which of her voices she may use to speak with me.
I am thinking the last 'news' that came out about M. Peterson was that the state WILL retry him. I hope they do it before he dies, the last time I saw news coverage of him he looked terrible--very old and frail. I was a bit surprised that they said they would retry him as I honestly thought it would go down to time served and just leave him alone because of the way he looks. I'm telling you, he looks 90 and is bent all over.

 

[aa9511]

Sometimes M2 includes depraved indifference. I think it might have been enough for the jury to say that the proof wasn't there that the murder was planned, or at least that AH was part of the planning, but that they don't buy the tripping story, and they know Grant has already been convicted of murdering Laura, so pretty much they might have just said it was enough that Amanda knew Grant was hurting her and she didn't try to render aid, call 911 etc.

Good points, Irish_Eyes. I believe the jury saw it exactly like you stated.

 

[lib's mom]

IMO, the jury got it wrong, and the State screwed up in the indictment. Sad, but I'm glad she got murder.

But the sentencing guidelines do suk. You murder someone and get out in 13 - 16 years? That's too lenient. Here's hoping somebody holds her to 16.4 years, and that the parole board is reminded of the way Laura's body was desecrated. Heck, I may track her and remind her parole board of this. There is no one in Laura's family except her dad to stand up for her.

And there is a wrongful death charge pending, too. I hope it hangs over her head forEVER.

I am very sorry to see that lying pays.

If it makes you feel any better Boodles, Laura also has a brother who has been very active in pursuing justice for his sister. Also, I think she has a tight circle of friends who will be like white on rice AH and GH for the rest of their days.

I don't have any link so, JMHO.

 

[Boodles]

Like someone else said, I wish JS would have really laid into her. He didn't do that with GH, either, but he got M1. TBH I was disappointed with his words (paraphrasing): she could have saved her but she didn't. No, IMO, she actually helped CAUSE her death. She actually WANTED her to die. I am honestly very disappointed, I wish he had just said nothing at all rather than that. The way he said it was more like, she was a by-stander who didn't do anything. Like you see a car hit a person on the street, and you just stand there and do nothing. He did go on to say: instead she participated in the killing. So that's like, you see the car hit the person, you stand there, then you go over and smash the guy's head in the ground a few times, then leave. IMO, what Amanda did is, along with Grant, set up the car and the driver to hit the person.

Sigh.

bbm. Yes! Well said.

But I like that he did not acknowledge her little speech, just sent her off. In essence, he said that she should have got convicted of murder 1 and she lucked out.

 

[aa9511]

I wish for once someone who had served on a jury of the case we were following would come on here and discuss it with us - people who actually know the caes and know the evidence in the case.

I know they, obviously, no necessity to do so.

But I'm sure some of them are curious and go online after a publicized case.

The people on here are so nice, we would never judge. We would be so happy they are just sharing their thoughts with us.

Anyway, wishful thinking!