State v. Bradley Cooper 5-2-2011

[Lori59]

You must have missed the testimony. Mr. Rentz had been fearful for quite some time that Nancy was involved in a volatile situation and suggested she leave. Brad had taken Katie's passport, making it impossible for her to flee to Canada with both girls.

Mr. Rentz had a career in social services and was acutely aware that domestic situations such as Nancy's could turn violent at any time. Nancy felt that Brad would never hurt her.

Something either frightened her or changed her mind as evidenced by the call to the realtor to start looking for an apartment ASAP.

It's too bad she didn't get "out" sooner. Now she is statistic like the thousands of women killed because of not responding to the warning signs earlier.

That relationship was a powder keg. Neither individual was behaving well. Add alcohol to the mix and the unthinkable happened.

Google "divorce murder" and see the number of results that are found: About 19,100,000 results (0.16 seconds)

I quoted your post on purpose, even though it is long. This is the exact reason why all those in defense of Brad, focus on the computer evidence....they don't want the jurors to remember and focus on the emotional part of this case and so many otheres. Woman, that can't imagine the danger they are in and die trying to leave a horrible marriage. It is real, and happens every day. This is really a simple, common, straight forth, and tragic case of a bad marriage and a man that didn't want to pay. Simple and common, but the defense will try every time to make it confusing and complex.....as in this case, hence, the computer evidence.

 

[Palomine]

There was no two year affair. They had an encounter twice, once in the closet and once in the car, it sounded like she serviced him both times.

why would he tell a marriage counselor that it was a two year affair and that he loved HM?

 

[jrb0124]

IMO, Mr. Rentz had been fearful for quite some time that Nancy was involved in a volatile situation and suggested she leave. Brad had taken Katie's passport, making it impossible for her to flee to Canada with both girls.

Mr. Rentz had a career in social services and was acutely aware that domestic situations such as Nancy's could turn violent at any time. Nancy felt that Brad would never hurt her.

Something either frightened her or changed her mind as evidenced by the call to the realtor to start looking for an apartment ASAP.

It's too bad she didn't get "out" sooner. Now she is statistic like the thousands of women killed because of not responding to the warning signs earlier.

That relationship was a powder keg. Neither individual was behaving well. Add alcohol to the mix and the unthinkable happened.

Google "divorce murder" and see the number of results that are found: About 19,100,000 results (0.16 seconds)

I think the passport thing is common legal advice in that situation.

There has also been plausible (IMO) testimony that NC was not not fearful and that nothing had changed in that regard as of the night of 7/11.

She had not contacted her attorney in months, which to me would seem the actionable step (not a RE agent or what she said to friends).

It would be interesting though to see a table of characteristics/facts related to husbands who murder their wives admist divorce proceedings. My guess would be that BC would not have too many of those boxes unchecked - at the very least, not a 'prime' candidate.

 

[Lori59]

You've obviously not been in a very very bad marriage. I have. To have suffered the abuse, ridicule, exploitation that BC had (by NC), it'd be hard to work up a tear when she's missing. They had a very bad marriage for a very long time. Did you expect him to be falling to his knees grieving? Particularly when "the cult" was pointing their fingers at him in blame? Quite frankly, this is one of the reasons I DON'T believe he did it. Seems like if he had killed her, he would have gone out of his way to fake grief, concern, etc. etc.

No, I have not been in a marriage like this case. Sorry for anyone that has suffered through such a marriage. But I disagree to your description that NC caused him " abuse, ridicule, exploitation." Also, disagree to your term "cult." Your statement that if he had killed her, he would have faked guilty is completely unreasonable to me.

 

[Palomine]

You've obviously not been in a very very bad marriage. I have. To have suffered the abuse, ridicule, exploitation that BC had (by NC), it'd be hard to work up a tear when she's missing. They had a very bad marriage for a very long time. Did you expect him to be falling to his knees grieving? Particularly when "the cult" was pointing their fingers at him in blame? Quite frankly, this is one of the reasons I DON'T believe he did it. Seems like if he had killed her, he would have gone out of his way to fake grief, concern, etc. etc.

Your Joking! Right....Brad is the most dangerous abuser, quiet, calm and manipulative ...the type of person who is so insecure with himself that he cannot stand anyone who shoes strength
By intercepting Nancy's phone calls and emails he knew that she could and would survive without him...he definitely wouldn't stand for that

 

[jrb0124]

Your Joking! Right....Brad is the most dangerous abuser, quiet, calm and manipulative ...the type of person who is so insecure with himself that he cannot stand anyone who shoes strength
By intercepting Nancy's phone calls and emails he knew that she could and would survive without him...he definitely wouldn't stand for that

re: BBM, I thought the conventional wisdom among BDI folks here was that he was more than willing to let her go with the girls (told her she could in fact) until he saw the financial terms of the separation agreement. That doesn't support the bolded comment.

Also, NC apparently went out for the night to/with friends frequently, returning late in the evening. That doesn't sound like something the person you describe above would allow...even for one night.

 

[jrb0124]

further evidenced by the attempt to get a bill through the NC Legislature to remove liability from prosecutors when LE withholds evidence.

That's right I forgot about that. I do remember the legislation after Nifong.

For anyone who would believe that LE would never intentionally tamper with, fabricate, or destroy evidence...especially in NC, this legislation is a direct result of that.

 

[Tink56]

I think the passport thing is common legal advice in that situation.

There has also been plausible (IMO) testimony that NC was not not fearful and that nothing had changed in that regard as of the night of 7/11.

She had not contacted her attorney in months, which to me would seem the actionable step (not a RE agent or what she said to friends).

It would be interesting though to see a table of characteristics/facts related to husbands who murder their wives admist divorce proceedings. My guess would be that BC would not have too many of those boxes unchecked - at the very least, not a 'prime' candidate.

The disaster happened because, IMO, NC was not fearful. She kept asking and telling BC what she wanted/needed and he didn't communicate, IMO.

He didn't discuss the passport situation with her, he sneaked the passport out of the car and supposedly told her she should keep Bella's and he would keep Katie's.

The couple who met NC on the night of 7/11 were concerned. NC didn't want to go home until the lights were off. She did not want to deal with BC anymore. She did not want to make the marriage work. Two people with different goals living in the same house are a disaster waiting to happen.

There is no set profile for a man who can become violent. BC may have been slow to show emotions, but he is human. People can only be pushed, stressed, and angered so far. Then, it's either fight or flight.

I initially thought it was a case of anger spilling over and accidental death. However, the Google search and the tarp cause me to question my initial feelings. I think the jury will be able to decide.

 

[gracielee]

You've obviously not been in a very very bad marriage. I have. To have suffered the abuse, ridicule, exploitation that BC had (by NC), it'd be hard to work up a tear when she's missing. They had a very bad marriage for a very long time. Did you expect him to be falling to his knees grieving? Particularly when "the cult" was pointing their fingers at him in blame? Quite frankly, this is one of the reasons I DON'T believe he did it. Seems like if he had killed her, he would have gone out of his way to fake grief, concern, etc. etc.

And yet Nancy is the one who is dead.

As for grieving, the mother of his children was brutally murdered. Those children would forever miss their mother. After all, everyone stated nancy was a great mother who adored her children. And her children adored her. One would think his heart would break for the pain his children must now endure. He didn't even have the guts to tell them their mom was gone, forever. He left that little task to Nancy's parents and twin to do.

 

[gracielee]

The disaster happened because, IMO, NC was not fearful. She kept asking and telling BC what she wanted/needed and he didn't communicate, IMO.

He didn't discuss the passport situation with her, he sneaked the passport out of the car and supposedly told her she should keep Bella's and he would keep Katie's.

The couple who met NC on the night of 7/11 were concerned. NC didn't want to go home until the lights were off. She did not want to deal with BC anymore. She did not want to make the marriage work. Two people with different goals living in the same house are a disaster waiting to happen.

There is no set profile for a man who can become violent. BC may have been slow to show emotions, but he is human. People can only be pushed, stressed, and angered so far. Then, it's either fight or flight.

I initially thought it was a case of anger spilling over and accidental death. However, the Google search and the tarp cause me to question my initial feelings. I think the jury will be able to decide.

That whole long list of coincidences, all happening to a man who's wife wanted someplace else to live, ASAP. A wife who didn't want to go home until all the lights were out. And poof, the very next morning, she was GONE. Did Brad find a Gennie in a bottle? One great big special wish granted, no more Nancy.

 

[johnfear]

IMO, Mr. Rentz had been fearful for quite some time that Nancy was involved in a volatile situation and suggested she leave. Brad had taken Katie's passport, making it impossible for her to flee to Canada with both girls.

Mr. Rentz had a career in social services and was acutely aware that domestic situations such as Nancy's could turn violent at any time. Nancy felt that Brad would never hurt her.

Something either frightened her or changed her mind as evidenced by the call to the realtor to start looking for an apartment ASAP.

It's too bad she didn't get "out" sooner. Now she is statistic like the thousands of women killed because of not responding to the warning signs earlier.

That relationship was a powder keg. Neither individual was behaving well. Add alcohol to the mix and the unthinkable happened.

Google "divorce murder" and see the number of results that are found: About 19,100,000 results (0.16 seconds)

I googled the husband didn't do it and got 340,000,000 results in .28 seconds.

I LOVE your flag banner (that's the real reason I was pausing here, not my mad googling skills)

 

[unc70]

Do we know from the Friday discussions about the event log entry supposedly showing BC using the "missing router" the details of the event log entry?

I more or less heard BZ refer to it as a duplicate IP with something (MAC?) in the log entry of systems involved was identified as the "missing" router.

Some people posted here that the error was an IP Mis-match. Either error is possible, happens most often first connecting to a remote VLAN after previously connected elsewhere, maybe in this case at the Cisco facility. Here are some examples:

http://geekswithblogs.net/evjen/archive/2007/01/01/102429.aspx

http://www.verier.co.uk/subtext/arc...to-enable-virtual-adapter-with-cisco-vpn.aspx

Can someone help me understand the Monday morning testimony and documents from Cisco, the other group with a router on that order, the router ID serial numbers, etc.?

 

[RR0004]

Your Joking! Right....Brad is the most dangerous abuser, quiet, calm and manipulative ...the type of person who is so insecure with himself that he cannot stand anyone who shoes strength
By intercepting Nancy's phone calls and emails he knew that she could and would survive without him...he definitely wouldn't stand for that

IMVHO...he became crazed when he saw what she wanted in terms of child support. There was no way he was going to pay that amount. Divorce papers do incite the parties involved...especially when loss of money is involved. BC had used money to control Nancy for so long that to even think that it could now be out of his hands would make him lose control. I think any attempt on her part to show her independence or show that she would could fend for herself probably p$ssed him off to no end. And according to what I read, Nancy was waiting for her green card application to be approved before going forward with the divorce. She was caught between a rock and a hard place.

 

[RR0004]

re: BBM, I thought the conventional wisdom among BDI folks here was that he was more than willing to let her go with the girls (told her she could in fact) until he saw the financial terms of the separation agreement. That doesn't support the bolded comment.

Also, NC apparently went out for the night to/with friends frequently, returning late in the evening. That doesn't sound like something the person you describe above would allow...even for one night.

In the end...he knew she would survive without him.

ETA: allow?

 

[RR0004]

The disaster happened because, IMO, NC was not fearful. She kept asking and telling BC what she wanted/needed and he didn't communicate, IMO.

He didn't discuss the passport situation with her, he sneaked the passport out of the car and supposedly told her she should keep Bella's and he would keep Katie's.

The couple who met NC on the night of 7/11 were concerned. NC didn't want to go home until the lights were off. She did not want to deal with BC anymore. She did not want to make the marriage work. Two people with different goals living in the same house are a disaster waiting to happen.

There is no set profile for a man who can become violent. BC may have been slow to show emotions, but he is human. People can only be pushed, stressed, and angered so far. Then, it's either fight or flight.

I initially thought it was a case of anger spilling over and accidental death. However, the Google search and the tarp cause me to question my initial feelings. I think the jury will be able to decide.

Great post!

 

[otto]

IMVHO...he became crazed when he saw what she wanted in terms of child support. There was no way he was going to pay that amount. Divorce papers do incite the parties involved...especially when loss of money is involved. BC had used money to control Nancy for so long that to even think that it could now be out of his hands would make him lose control. I think any attempt on her part to show her independence or show that she would could fend for herself probably p$ssed him off to no end. And according to what I read, Nancy was waiting for her green card application to be approved before going forward with the divorce. She was caught between a rock and a hard place.

If he became crazed in April, when he was given a copy of the separation draft, he sure had a delayed reaction.

 

[RR0004]

That whole long list of coincidences, all happening to a man who's wife wanted someplace else to live, ASAP. A wife who didn't want to go home until all the lights were out. And poof, the very next morning, she was GONE. Did Brad find a Gennie in a bottle? One great big special wish granted, no more Nancy.

I've unfortunately lived Nancy's nightmare so I know how scared she was. I'm sure she restored her strength while away on vacation with her family while the separation seemed to have had an opposite effect on Brad's life. From the sound of it, it seem like his life was in disarray.

 

[RR0004]

If he became crazed in April, when he was given a copy of the separation draft, he sure had a delayed reaction.

I'm sorry...but unless you lived it, you have no idea. What makes you think April-July is such a long time? He went to an attorney and the attorney probably told him the words he didn't want to hear...you're gonna have to pay. It really didn't matter what amount it was, he didn't want to give her a dime.

ETA: the worst thing that a divorce attorney can advise is for both parties to live in the same house. It is a recipe for disaster even under the best conditions.

 

[calgary123]

First, Navy Seal Team 6, which doesn't officially exist, thank you, you took on the toughest and most dangerous job in the free world and executed flawlessly. You put your lives on the line in a very difficult situation and the results speak for themselves. No casualties? Despite broken helicopter? You are revered.

Second, I won't be able to follow these arguments live tomorrow, but will be reading when I can over the internet with much curiosity. This trial could go any of 4 ways. I don't think 2nd degree is likely, nor acquittal, but I do see 1st degree or hung most likely. I'd say 40% 1st, 30% hung, 25% acquittal, and 5% second degree (2nd degree really is a compromise but not plausible IMHO). The prosecution has issues but the defense needs conspiracy theories to capture the jury's mind, and 1 juror is enough.

Third, thanks to everyone who has engaged in meaningful discussion. Some really great points have been made by those on each side.

 

[Lori59]

I'll go with 80% guilty and 20% hung......my hung jury % is based on gender make up of the jury, as statistics show, sadly that women judge other women harshly. I do think the DA failed at showing NC in a compassionate way, therefore, not fully getting across her dire situation. JMO.