JerseyGirl said:
Again, the timing is interesting. How long were these taxes outstanding? And weeks before the bankruptcy is filed, he pays a portion of the taxes? At the advice of his attorney, I wonder? Since he's filing the type of bankruptcy where he gets to keep certain possessions, I imagine that he needed to get current with that tax bill before filing and asking to keep it. Also, I don't know for sure how it works but I would imagine that the bankruptcy court would allow you to keep one vehicle but would they allow you to keep more than one? It wouldn't seem quite fair that you're defaulting on money you owe while you have more vehicles than you can drive. You could sell the others to pay some of the debt. My guess is that any other vehicles were sold off recently by Raven. Otherwise, he either couldn't file for bankruptcy or the court would pare him down to one vehicle. Either way, he'd end up with only one but by selling them prior to filing, HE would get the money rather than his debtors. JMO as I'm not really sure how that all works. But it seems like Raven's been making the rounds with attorneys the past couple of years.
ETA: If nothing else, I would imagine that investigators could look into what he's sold recently, what his family has sold, whether he shared any debt with those family members, etc. If it's found that one or more of them orchestrated the selling of possessions to avoid having to pay towards their debt it would at least help in court down the road to paint a picture to the jury of the type of character that Raven has.
At the very least, Raven's financial information as stated on his bankruptcy filing demonstrate an individual who has some serious problems with money - specifically not being able to control his urges to spend. If you look at the data provided, it shows a person who is drowning in debt, and money problems dating back at least to 2001.
So... ladies and gentlemen of the jury, look at Raven Abaroa. He is deeply in debt. He has been arrested for embezzlement. He has been fired from his jobs. He cannot even pay the rent or the tax bills on his automobile and motorcycle. He has a wife and a child. His wife tells him she is pregnant again. She is a sweet and loving wife, however, she is not earning a lot of money annually. Unfortunately for Raven, her salary is not going to begin to put a dent in his debt. He has kept most of his debt secret from her. She and the rest of the world would view him as a failure if the depths of his financial, personal and professional problems were revealed.
However, he had purchased a life insurance policy for her (?).
The wheels start to turn. Raven plots a new plan. Yes, it would be sad to lose his wife, but think of what he could do with all that money. His debts would be erased. He could start over, really be the successful guy he portrays himself as being. He would never have financial stress again in his life. He plans how it will happen. Really thinks it through. Janet is no longer his wife or even, in Raven's mind, relevant. He is looking past her, to a future with no financial worries or stresses.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this is called premeditation of murder.
In our fine state of North Carolina, premeditated murder is a capital crime.
A capital crime is one that is so heinous that it is eligible for the death penalty.
Yet, Raven Abaroa was thinking of none of these things as he planned his future, free of the demands of creditors, free of the stress of debt, free of the guilt of not being able to support his pregnant wife and child. Free of being exposed publicly as a personal, financial and professional failure.
All Raven Abaroa was thinking about was money, and how it would make his life easier.
He failed in that too.
Did Janet deserve the fate Raven assigned to her? The state thinks not.
It is now up to you to assign a fate to Raven. No matter what you decide, know that you will be showing him more mercy than he showed his wife when he planned and plotted her death. The death he carried out by stabbing her in the neck and chest.
No matter which fate you select for Raven Abaroa, it will be kinder than what he chose to do to the wife he said he loved.
