Trial - Leonard P. Gonzalez, Jr. UPDATE -- Found Guilty

[Kimmer]

The Defence closing arguments made absolutely no sense, I feel that they already know he will be found guilty and they plan on doing most of there work in the penalty phase because if not for that I cannot for the life of me figure out what they have been trying to do....Seems like during the Defence closing they wanted the jury to believe that Hugh Wiggins could have done this crime, kinda hard when he was on an oil platform at the time, I wish the Prosecutor would have mentioned that to the jury during the rebuttal.

 

[Kimmer]

How long do you guys think the jury will be out? My guess is 2-4 hours...

 

[Solomisskitty]

http://twitter.com/insession
*snip* When defendant exited courtroom, he told deputy "I've already been tried & convicted by the media."

 

[Solomisskitty]

Interesting piece...
http://ricksblog.biz/?p=12994
Defense rests without calling a witness
*snip* As one defense attorney who was watching the trial of Patrick Gonzalez told me, when you’re dealt a crappy hand it’s best to fold and hope on the mercy of the jury.

 

[elainebenice]

http://twitter.com/#!/InSession

*snip* Jurors tell Judge they want to continue deliberating, passed on the Court's dinner offer. Judge and defendant exit

this was posted 9 minutes ago

 

[megamami]

http://twitter.com/#!/InSession

*snip* Jurors tell Judge they want to continue deliberating, passed on the Court's dinner offer. Judge and defendant exit

this was posted 9 minutes ago

That makes me think that they must be making headway??? If they were getting somewhere, they would stop, eat and regroup, right?
Just a guess...

I went and read the other comment from Rick Outzen's blog:
http://ricksblog.biz/?p=12975

While I am certainly glad the trial did not drag out and it appears that Jr. is definitely guilty, I have to sat that it was so unsatisfying not hearing from the rest of the people there or involved (like Coldiron, Gonzalez Sr, PLW and Hugh, and Cab Tice.) They really were not mentioned much.

What happens if they convict Jr. but then in the other trials more comes out about the involvement of others??? like maybe he wasn't the only prominent planner? Questions, questions...

Oh, the mic is coming back online so maybe the jury is coming back??

 

[elainebenice]

we won't have to speculate much longer......VERDICT IS IN according to IN Session on twitter.

 

[elainebenice]

Guilty on 1st degree murder for both victims

 

[megamami]

That was really fast! Penalty phase tomorrow. Not looking good for Jr.!

 

[Texas Mist]

cnn's update

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/10/28/florida.couple.slain.case/index.html

 

[daisy7]

The man accused of killing Byrd and Melanie Billings during a 2009 home invasion has been found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder.

A jury returned the verdict at 8:15 this evening in the trial of Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Jr., 36. The jury will return to the courtroom at 9 a.m. Friday for the penalty phase of the trial.

(snip)

http://www.pnj.com/article/20101028/NEWS01/101028004/Billings-homicide-trial-Gonzalez-guilty

Wow that was fast!!

 

[megamami]

cnn's update

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/10/28/florida.couple.slain.case/index.html

This article said that Jr. said he was "going to kill someone" right before the July 9th murder but from listening to testimony, I thought he said that on the July 4th botched attempt when the security lights (motion lights) came on.
That may have been a reference to someone who was supposed to make sure that the lights didn't cut off. Like he was mad at them?

 

[Solomisskitty]

This article said that Jr. said he was "going to kill someone" right before the July 9th murder but from listening to testimony, I thought he said that on the July 4th botched attempt when the security lights (motion lights) came on.
That may have been a reference to someone who was supposed to make sure that the lights didn't cut off. Like he was mad at them?

That's still the 20 million question...who was supposed to cut the video?
And IMO, still so many unaddressed, unanswered questions.

 

[Sleuthster]

I was so glad to see that he was convicted:furious::furious:

It is my hope that he gets the DP and that FL and the defense lawyers do not drag it out so long that he just rots in prison.

What a horrible horrible crime and I just think about those poor kids and how the Billings where just trying to give them a family.

 

[redfish]

That's still the 20 million question...who was supposed to cut the video?
And IMO, still so many unaddressed, unanswered questions.

If there was someone else, (I have always thought there was) Patrick sure gambled wrong... it is too late for any deal now I think.

 

[Solomisskitty]

If there was someone else, (I have always thought there was) Patrick sure gambled wrong... it is too late for any deal now I think.

Redfish, I believe you're right and that to me, is such a shame. I do not believe LPG, Jr. was the so-called mastermind. It has always bothered me that of all the perps, the only ones with private attorneys are Hugh and Pamela Wiggins. Where's the money to pay those attorneys coming from?

 

[megamami]

Even if there was someone else, he still would have been guilty of the shooting. They probably wouldn't have given him any type of deal since they had so much on him.

But for such a blabber mouth, he never told any of the others if(that) there was another person that was supposed to cut off the security or video system? I am not sure that he is that controlled of a person to pull that off. Seems he made so many mistakes.

 

[megamami]

Redfish, I believe you're right and that to me, is such a shame. I do not believe LPG, Jr. was the so-called mastermind. It has always bothered me that of all the perps, the only ones with private attorneys are Hugh and Pamela Wiggins. Where's the money to pay those attorneys coming from?

Hugh had a decent job (oil platform work) and he could have cashed in on a retirement plan??? But I definitely think that they also were in up to their eyeballs in all this.

 

[Salem]

Have any of the others accepted plea deals, besides the two young men that fingered Gonzalez, Jr.?

TIA,

Salem

 

[daisy7]

I worry about what's gonna happen in the appeals process, cuz Jr.'s attorneys were just so bad, IMO.