2011.04.25 - The Trial Begins

[joe jones]

LE did a vey thorough investigation, they tracked down the fact he bought the spray paint used to spray the messages in the house after the murders,

the cell tower pings are also good evidence, but they need to get somebody to testify to that in clear precise language, I have seen good cell tower evidence testimony become so confucing and muddled that the points that needed to be made got lost in the confusion

so far though the state has laid a solid foundation of a case in front of the jury

 

[ynotdivein]

THANK YOU to all who were able to follow media and post updates today.

I wonder what the jurors' reaction to the crime scene photographs were.

I do not envy them their task, or the troubles they may have falling asleep tonight, or the dreams that may come after viewing such atrocities.

To read that CC sobbed when confronted with the evidence of these crimes softens my heart to him not. one. iota.

 

[Kimster]

http://www.kplr11.com/news/ktvi-she...ify-monday-20110425,0,6728426.story?track=rss

I guess she just verified who the victims were. Bless her heart!

 

[panthera]

And a huge "thank you" from me also for everyone's diligence today during the trial. I was able to read the updates while at work instead of having to try to catch up tonight. :hug:

My heart goes out to Sheri's mother. Bless her.

 

[CCup]

Fox2 has a Coleman Trial section of their website with links to all the articles/videos since the beginning of this tragedy. http://www.fox2now.com/news/coleman/. They also have two reporters tweeting from the trial, which is on that page so even if you don't have a twitter account, you can follow it. I'll chime in if the 6 o'clock news has anything new on... missed the 5 o'clock.

As for developments, I'm really glad the local coroner has put the TOD between 3 a.m. - 5 a.m. because that will give Baden even more credibility to the jurors who may be leery of relying on a "Hollywood" type for evidence. I also think the cell phone ping in Dupo will be huge. You have to really be wanting to pass up Columbia to end up several miles north near Dupo.

I am baffled by him going to the Dupo exit! Yes, it bought him probably five minutes but that is it. I do know that somewhere around the same time of the murders they did open a 2nd entrance to the Columbia Lake Subdivision that could be accessed by taking the back road from Dupo to Columbia, but it is by no means faster than taking the highway. Truly, there is only one reason he went to the Dupo exit and that was to prolong arriving home.

http://www.kplr11.com/news/ktvi-she...ify-monday-20110425,0,6728426.story?track=rss

I guess she just verified who the victims were. Bless her heart!

Yes, she was the first to testify and she identified all of them and stated their names and birthdates.

 

[Kimster]

Could he have taken that route as part of a plan to dispose of things so they wouldn't be on the same trail as the gym?

 

[CCup]

Absolutely....the route from Dupo to Columbia is a two lane side street and he could have definitely disposed of the evidence.

 

[ohiogirl]

Could he have taken that route as part of a plan to dispose of things so they wouldn't be on the same trail as the gym?

Maybe he almost didn't go home. Just kept on going. jmo

 

[Kimster]

I think he should have been made to view the crime pictures. :furious:

 

[Brian5671]

I think he should have been made to view the crime pictures. :furious:

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I wonder why they set up the projector so that his back was to the photos? May have been just the setup of the courtroom, but one would think that he should have to view them if everyone else was...
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also on the missed exit-he'll just say that he was flustered and missed his exit while trying to reach someone at his house-but I agree, it was likely to make sure that he didnt get there before the police....

 

[panthera]

Could he have taken that route as part of a plan to dispose of things so they wouldn't be on the same trail as the gym?

Good point. That, and to take longer getting home. MOO

 

[Wrinkles]

Hello All,

Here are some notes (and some thoughts) while having read the varied articles...

From this article:

Court doors open at 8AM. Court started at 9:30AM

Note: Hockey (Blues Note) does that help with your question from last week? Looks like they might be bussing people starting around 8AM or so?

Courtroom seats 50, all seats were taken by 9AM.

The maternal aunt of Coleman was frustrated that she didn't get a seat...she thought the courtroom should be bigger so that "people could show their support." Hmmm...as for support, she obviously wants to support her nephew who was responsible for those horrid photos people had to see. Or maybe she thought that the upcoming videos of Tara and Chris would be fun to watch.

Actually, I would agree that there should be more room for people who want to fill the court house by the hundreds in a show of support for Sheri and the children.

But wait a minute, look what this article says?

>>About 20 spectators came. There was room for more.<<

From this article at the WCFCourier:

>>Did Christopher Coleman, the doting father who took his two young sons to get snow cones one evening, wrap ligatures around their necks and choke out their lives the next morning?<<

So...let's see, night before murders, Chris took the kids for snow cones? Is that what they are saying?

And this from StLToday.com:

>>Reitz said jurors will hear that Coleman bought a can of apple-red spraypaint two months before the killings and was busy texting his girlfriend in Florida the night before the murders. Reitz said apple-red paint was used to scrawl messages on the family's walls.<<

And...so when was Chris texting Tara the night before? Was it before or after snowcones? Before or after the kids were put in bed?

I think I see the prosecution coming to something at this article... I'm not liking what I'm thinking.

>>Also mentioned were long strands of dark hair found in the crook of the elbow of slain child Gavin Coleman. There was no testimony yet to put that into context. His father had short blond hair; his murdered mother had long dark hair.<<

Gavin heard his mother struggling? Went to help and...

Ah, here is a possible explanation:

>>The youngest son, Gavin, appeared to have a clump of his mother's hair in the crook of his arm. It was possibly there after being caught on the same cord used to strangle his mother.<<

And another article... So Coleman was job shopping for a position at what $$ an hour (bet he couldn't even get a near offer for what he was making)? Where did he turn in those ummm whatucallits, uh yeah "job applications?" Can I see one of those dated applications? Where was Chris looking for this job? And who was sitting in the car waiting for him when he did that job shopping? Oh...can we please have evidence that a) he was looking for a job and b) that it was to have time with his "family" and c) the family being referenced is Sheri and the children? I'll believe this when I have something besides nonsense yak...

>>Margulis, a Clayton attorney, told jurors that Coleman had been having an affair, but that he was looking for work and planned to leave Joyce Meyer Ministries.<<

Yeah...no sense in denying the affair, but maybe the THUD of the looking for the job to spend more time with his family will stick, NOT!

Sheri's daddy went to the trial today, and her paternal grandmother Her grandmother is probably in her 70s or older, I hope she is strong enough physically to handle this

>>Among the last to get a spot was Sheri Coleman's father, who came with his mother.<<

Good grief... The delusion is widespread...

>>Teresa Peters of St. Mary, Mo., said she hoped to attend the trial in support of Coleman's family. Peters attends Grace Church Ministries in Chester, where Coleman's father, the Rev. Ron Coleman, is pastor.

"He is not guilty," Peters said. "I know him. I am here for his family."<<

Well we know she isn't there for the family that he killed then, eh?

A tweet from Chris Hayes

>>Forensic path. not comfortable giving time of death, but reluctantly said b/w 3-5 a.m. Coleman left home 5:43 a.m.<<

How often did Chris head to the gym at 5:43AM? What was his pattern with the gym? Is there a sign in sheet that the gym kept or did some punch in card note the times people arrived? And was anything captured on that video at the gym?

Oh and well, 5AM is earlier than 5:43AM isn't it? So ain't no way that 5AM is 5:43AM

Chris Hayes also tweeted that Dr. Baden is expected to testify tomorrow. AND Hayes also tweeted about tomorrow:

>>and they could begin showing Coleman's interrogation video.<<

I sure wish I could watch that -- I bet it speaks a million things.

 

[Kimster]

Thank you for the summation, Wrinkles! :bow:

And will they release that interrogation video to the public? I want to see it VERY much!

 

[panthera]

Thank you, Wrinkles! Your hard work is very much appreciated. :hug:

The thoughts re: Sheri's hair on Gavin's body sounds quite plausible. MOO

 

[CCup]

I heard (from someone who was in the courtroom today) that each family was allowed to have 6 family members allowed in. They were seated first and then the press(20 members of the press) was seated and a small group of people who had possibly called ahead to be put on a list were seated. The rest of the people were then told that there was four seats available and they were seated on a first come first serve basis.

Members of Sheri's family took turns sitting in on the trial, during breaks they switched places inside and outside of the courtroom.

 

[Stella5]

JMHO, but passing up his exit and ending up in Dupo is not going to fly! At the time of the murders (even now), the quickest & easiest way back to the house was to go south on 255 to Route 3. To end up in Dupo, you have to take 255 northbound... it was definitely not a mistake and anyone familiar with the area is not going to buy an explanation of him being flustered by the events of the morning and getting distracted.

As for disposing of evidence along that route, I highly doubt that because it's not really heavily populated right there as it is once you cross the river into MO and evidence would surely stick out like a sore thumb. The only reason he went to the "gym" was to cross the river and dump it into the river. I'd bet any money he got off at Koch at some point and tossed evidence into the river.

 

[Stella5]

Thanks CCup for that info... I keep toying with the idea of going, but with the venue being so small with limited amount of seating (4??? really only 4 left - WOW!) I doubt I'd ever get in... unless I got up at the break of dawn and was the first person there.

 

[CCup]

Well it seems like they actually let about 18 non family or non press people in. I was told 6 from each family(12 total) and 20 press members. It was unsure who the small group of people let in were or why they were allowed.

 

[panthera]

JMHO, but passing up his exit and ending up in Dupo is not going to fly! At the time of the murders (even now), the quickest & easiest way back to the house was to go south on 255 to Route 3. To end up in Dupo, you have to take 255 northbound... it was definitely not a mistake and anyone familiar with the area is not going to buy an explanation of him being flustered by the events of the morning and getting distracted.

As for disposing of evidence along that route, I highly doubt that because it's not really heavily populated right there as it is once you cross the river into MO and evidence would surely stick out like a sore thumb. The only reason he went to the "gym" was to cross the river and dump it into the river. I'd bet any money he got off at Koch at some point and tossed evidence into the river.

BBM

To add an additional thought to this, at that point, just what was he "flustered and distracted" by? He goes to the gym at 5:43am, then calls home and no one answers, so he claims he's worried and sends the neighbor (cop) over to the house........but there never has been any kind of logical explanation WHY he was so concerned. One missed phone call and he's "flustered"? Come on! If this mysterious perp who had been threatening him was THAT MUCH of a threat, why did he leave home in the first place? I think the 12 jurors if they have an ounce of common sense will figure out what was going on. MOO

 

[Wrinkles]

Several things...

I sure with that one of the reporters would have informed us about the core temperatures found.

Also...there were several comments I read that got me thinking... I'm wondering what Baden might do with them or if he will address "the skin."

>>He described her skin as feeling "thick," like the skin of the dinosaur at the St. Louis Science Center.

Donjon told the jurors he tried to turn Sheri over, but her neck, head and shoulders appeared "locked."<<

I believe there was another comment I read about the skin of both Sheri and the children. You can rest assured we will hear more about the skin, and we will hear from Baden about how blood "fixes" after death (press test). There will be discussion of Sheri's head, neck and, I believe, shoulders being locked when the police officer tried to turn her.

The fixing of the blood, my guess, will be some of what Baden addresses in pointing to Sheri's likely time of death. I might guess that her blood was fixed when the coroner came.

Here's a blurb on the fixing of the blood:
>>Immediately after death, the blood is "unfixed" and will move to other body parts if the body's position is changed. After a few hours, the pooled blood becomes "fixed" and will not move. Pressing on an area of discoloration can determine this; if it blanches (turns white) easily, then the blood remains unfixed.<<

Of course, I might expect Baden to address the fixing of the blood, the bodies' core temperatures and the degree of "locking" or "stiffening." I believe that bodies which are not really fighting at the time of death (as in a swimmer trying to swim to stay afloat, or as in someone fighting off a perp) may go into rigor a bit more quickly than those which are sleeping (relaxed.) In the event there were sleeping relaxed children and a sudden taking of their lives (no struggle), and in the event there were rigor found at about 7AM, this would almost surely be indicative of a time of death longer than a couple hours prior to the time the bodies were found.

Hmmm...yes...the hair found on the little one's arm. It surely seems that I have heard that a hair follicle will tell if the hair came out when the person was alive or deceased. I will be curious if the hair that was found was shown to be from someone who was deceased, and that it was Sheri's. In other words, it could indicate that Sheri's life had already been taken and the possibility that the hair fell from the ligature which was moved to it's next victim.

As for Sheri's time of death... Baden apparently set that at between about 11PM and midnight the night before she was found. This quotes has been distributed around the web, the news source page is gone now (or I can't find one yet):

>>Baden placed the time of death between 11 p.m. and midnight of the previous day, when Coleman would have been home.<<

The many signs that Baden learned pointed to a time of death 7 or 8 hours before... I am now wondering if Chris took Sheri's life, then waited a while before taking the kids for some reason.