GUILTY AR - Jersey Bridgeman, 6, raped & murdered, Bentonville, 20 Nov 2012 #1

[borndem]

Yes, Arkansas has LWOP and DP.

According to the probable cause affidavit, ZH is charged with capital murder, among other crimes.

LWOP is the mandatory minimum sentence for capital murder conviction as specified in Ark. Code Ann. §5-10-101 under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life, knowingly causing the death of a person fourteen (14) years of age or younger, where the defendant is 18 years of age or older at the time the murder was committed.

Sounds good to me! Thanks, Detector!

 

[borndem]

My impression is that there was a very obvious crime scene in the abandoned house, they very clearly stated that she died there, very early into the investigation. That spoke volumes coming from a normally tight lipped LE. I don't think she was already dead.

People are talking a lot here that maybe he accidentally killed her to muffle cries, but I do not think it was accidental. She knew him, she could name him, it would always be a risk hanging over his head. Raping a 6 year old is not like raping a woman who had had sex before, it leaves proof that someone was there. It wouldn't be her word against his like it can be argued with adult women. IMO he thought he could outsmart LE by being the mourning faux "uncle" and he thought he'd watched enough Law & Order to get away without leaving evidence. Keeping her alive was never an option for him imo. He thought he could get away with it if she was silenced.

JMO, purely speculation, but I do not believe it was an accident at all. I think he'd been dwelling on the impulse for some time, and finally went with it. Assuming he did it, and LE is right, then he's a sick man that none of us here can understand rationally at all. It's beyond our scope.

I promise I'm not normally this vicious and callous.

No, Abby, you are not normally that vicious & callous, but that's just what this crime was and just what the killer/rapist did.

I also think it happened very closely to what you stated above. He may not have watched the L&O episodes about sperm & DNA, however. Maybe he tried to clean it up -- apparently a "small amount" of sperm was found, IIRC. <smh> She was just a little girl. (Whoever it was) -- How could he do that to her? :furious:

 

[borndem]

My theory as to the quantification of "small amount" is that he may have had performance issues.

I hadn't considered a condom. Certainly possible.

He commented on his facebook and he and the Mrs. were trying to conceive so would he have had condoms available?

Surely he would not purchase them at the EZ-Mart. Then again, there's that crayon in the box thing.

bbm
Still chuckling, Lois Lane! :floorlaugh: I think we all needed a good laff about now. Thanks for puttin' it down the way you did!

 

[tlcya]

I do beleive she was suffocated during the rape. I believe he placed his hand over her mouth and nose to stifle her cries during the act. I do not believe her resulting death was unanticipated or unintended.

Once he had concluded in his own mind that he was going to remove her from her home in the dead of night and rape her, I think it was never his intention to let her live to tell the tale.

 

[Truth Detector]

He may not have watched the L&O episodes about sperm & DNA, however. Maybe he tried to clean it up -- apparently a "small amount" of sperm was found, IIRC.

The PC affidavit states that "a vaginal swab... revealed the presence of a small number of sperm cells".

This may have been one of the 50 - 60 pieces of evidence collected by the local LE/CSI and sent to the state crime lab in Little Rock along with Jersey's body. It may or may not have been obtained during the autopsy.

Since the volume of seminal fluid on that single swab is unknown (to us), we might not expect to find more than a small number of sperm cells thereon.

Possibly of interest is the representation by ZH on his FB profile that "we are trying to get pregnant and we cant [sic] do that with her weight the way it is." It may be that "her weight" was not their only or even primary impediment. [Pure speculation]

 

[menmo]

I'm sitting here thankful she did not get pregnant.

 

[borndem]

I

The PC affidavit states that "a vaginal swab... revealed the presence of a small number of sperm cells".

This may have been one of the 50 - 60 pieces of evidence collected by the local LE/CSI and sent to the state crime lab in Little Rock along with Jersey's body. It may or may not have been obtained during the autopsy.

Since the volume of seminal fluid on that single swab is unknown (to us), we might not expect to find more than a small number of sperm cells thereon.

Possibly of interest is the representation by ZH on his FB profile that "we are trying to get pregnant and we cant [sic] do that with her weight the way it is." It may be that "her weight" was not their only or even primary impediment. [Pure speculation]

You make some good thoughts, Detector...

I assume a rape kit was done on that little girl -- can you imagine? OMG what a disgraceful thing to think about. This innocent who who should have been dreaming about a new doll for Christmas, or a red wagon, or a swing set when this horror was being done to her by a sick & selfish animal.

 

[Hopeful One]

He was walking around in the Mountain Dew pants the morning Jersey was found. Pics here: http://www.4029tv.com/news/arkansas/northwest/-/8897460/17561470/-/8qshwy/-/index.html

I'm with you on the "Lenny" argument -- great way to put it!

Is he wearing a dress too?? :waitasec:

 

[CountryGirl]

Is he wearing a dress too?? :waitasec:

Actually it was a bathrobe.

 

[Dr. Know?]

I thought at first ZH was wearing a womans grey colored pajama but it's actually his robe. In this video he has a jacket on over the robe making it appear like a dress hanging out.

Arrest made in Jersey Bridgeman case - YouTube

 

[Truth Detector]

However I don't know why some are reporting the judge added the rape charge. It says on the affidavit the police charged him with it the day he was arrested. It seems it just wasn't announced

Redactions notwithstanding, according to the Benton County Jail's website, Holly was booked into the Jail at 8:53 p.m. on Monday, 11/26/2012, less than three hours after waiving his Miranda rights and making a statement to BPD Detectives Moffit and Wiseman.

He was arrested and charged with the four felonies detailed in the probable cause affidavit. Those four charges are listed in the same sequence on the Jail's website as they are in the affidavit, with rape being listed as the third of the four.

The "Offense Date" on the website is the same as ZH's Jail admit date and is the same date -- 11/26/2012 -- for all four offenses.

While I believe that ZH was closely surveilled from Tuesday, 11/20/2012, until his arrest seven days later -- I base this on BPD Chief Simpsons' statement vis-à-vis their investigation yielding "no reason ... for the community to be worried at [that] point" -- I do not believe that ZH was arrested prior to Monday, 11/26/2012.

It now seems obvious, after the fact, that ZH was charged with all four counts upon his arrest, but that the rape charge was not publicly discussed until it became a matter of public record at/after the PC hearing on Wednesday, 11/28/2012, where/when Judge Robin Green ordered him held without bail on all four charges, and well after the ETA of the preliminary results of DNA analysis using samples, including ZH's, collected during the initial stages of the investigation.

 

[CountryGirl]

Except when we read the Bentonville PD booking right after his arrest was announced there was no rape charge on the web site. We didn't know about that charge until Wednesday's hearing. I'm sure he was charged with it on Monday but for some reason it was kept offline until the hearing. Maybe because of the viewing and funeral.

 

[Jacie Estes]

Redactions notwithstanding, according to the Benton County Jail's website, Holly was booked into the Jail at 8:53 p.m. on Monday, 11/26/2012, less than three hours after waiving his Miranda rights and making a statement to BPD Detectives Moffit and Wiseman.

He was arrested and charged with the four felonies detailed in the probable cause affidavit. Those four charges are listed in the same sequence on the Jail's website as they are in the affidavit, with rape being listed as the third of the four.

The "Offense Date" on the website is the same as ZH's Jail admit date and is the same date -- 11/26/2012 -- for all four offenses.

While I believe that ZH was closely surveilled from Tuesday, 11/20/2012, until his arrest seven days later -- I base this on BPD Chief Simpsons' statement vis-à-vis their investigation yielding "no reason ... for the community to be worried at [that] point" -- I do not believe that ZH was arrested prior to Monday, 11/26/2012.

It now seems obvious, after the fact, that ZH was charged with all four counts upon his arrest, but that the rape charge was not publicly discussed until it became a matter of public record at/after the PC hearing on Wednesday, 11/28/2012, where/when Judge Robin Green ordered him held without bail on all four charges, and well after the ETA of the preliminary results of DNA analysis using samples, including ZH's, collected during the initial stages of the investigation.

I can see the public dissemination of the rape charge being withheld until after the funeral out of respect for the family and Jersey's memory.

 

[Truth Detector]

Except when we read the Bentonville PD booking right after his arrest was announced there was no rape charge on the web site. We didn't know about that charge until Wednesday's hearing. I'm sure he was charged with it on Monday but for some reason it was kept offline until the hearing. Maybe because of the viewing and funeral.

I can see the public dissemination of the rape charge being withheld until after the funeral out of respect for the family and Jersey's memory.

The courts, law enforcement, and to a lesser extent news reporters all abide by sets of self-imposed standards with respect to disclosing the identities of even the deceased victim of a sexual assault, especially when, as in this case, the victim is a minor child.

They obviously want to be absolutely certain that the evidence supports the charge, and that family members are notified prior to the release of sensitive information to the general public.

I am not an apologist for the three aforementioned professions, but I do pray that none of us ever finds ourselves or our family members numbered among the victims.

 

[Dr. Know?]

It's a respectful way of announcing that charge. I've seen it done many times. Respect for the child, parent(s) and family. It was obvious to me it would come out in the news afterwards. I think many here felt it too. My thoughts are with the family.



jmo

 

[fabvab]

Just had a closer read of ZH's fb page again. I have to say I'm struck by how pretty well all of his posts are declarations of love and devotion for A and his little family, and how happy he is with life. Constant references to his "baby" and "angel". I know fb profiles can be very deceiving ... and the Silence of the Lambs quote is really weird (especially given everything else posted). But - I get the impression he would do anything to keep that love ... and wonder if he was talked into covering/taking the fall for someone else?? He seems submissive enough for that to be plausible.

There is also the redacted police document posted here a couple of days back. The part where AH seemed to be in contact with LE from early on, and telling them they were on their way to Springfield and that she would get back to the police on their return got me thinking I guess. Time spent getting stories straight? It almost sounds like she was calling the shots at that part of the investigation.

And no I haven't got as far as thinking how this fits with the crime scene or how the whole horrible event played out Sorry to be icky, but I did think it was strange that the word "sperm" was used when that evidence was announced, rather than "semen" - maybe just incorrect wording by whoever released/read that info. Given that it was noted it was a small amount, it did occur to me that maybe it was planted ...

Just another rather wild theory to throw out there. I have been very misled by fb appearances before. Forget "never judge a book by it's cover" - now we should say never judge a person by their fb profile!

:moo:

ZH does sound pretty literate on FB, and his posts focused on his love for his new wife/family. But...how do we know he made those posts? His fiance/wife could have posted them for him. Possible scenario: Fiance has her smart phone or his smart phone and asks, "What do you want to post on your FB?"...or she might have had his password to his FB account. Just throwing that out there.

The "silence of the lamb" saying...puke, puke :furious::sick:

But then again...that is exactly what he did...he silenced a precious, innocent little lamb...Rest in peace sweet Jersey...:heartbeat:

 

[menmo]

BBM

ZH does sound pretty literate on FB, and his posts focused on his love for his new wife/family. But...how do we know he made those posts? His fiance/wife could have posted them for him. Possible scenario: Fiance has her smart phone or his smart phone and asks, "What do you want to post on your FB?"...or she might have had his password to his FB account. Just throwing that out t here.

The "silence of the lamb" saying...puke, puke :furious::sick:

But then again...that is exactly what he did...he silenced a precious, innocent little lamb...Rest in peace sweet Jersey...:heartbeat:

These thoughts have been running through my head, too.

MOO

 

[borndem]

Except when we read the Bentonville PD booking right after his arrest was announced there was no rape charge on the web site. We didn't know about that charge until Wednesday's hearing. I'm sure he was charged with it on Monday but for some reason it was kept offline until the hearing. Maybe because of the viewing and funeral.

LE could have been waiting on the lab/DNA results to confirm the presence of sperm & to confirm a match with ZH.
JMHO.

 

[Dr. Know?]

LE could have been waiting on the lab/DNA results to confirm the presence of sperm & to confirm a match with ZH.
JMHO.

I think the LE made a good judgement call waiting until the funeral was over before the final charge of rape was added and also think they might have known at least by Friday when AH & ZH went in on that day, they had their answer. Great job LE and all that assisted.

How stupid of a crime for such sick pleasure? People like this must be tormented by their urges or messed up with drugs/alcohol, which is no excuse either. Sick...sad too if he has child abuse in his life before all of this, it's still not excused in my book but you have to look at it to understand it. chills...

Let's get justice Jersey! RIP. RIP.

 

[borndem]

I do beleive she was suffocated during the rape. I believe he placed his hand over her mouth and nose to stifle her cries during the act. I do not believe her resulting death was unanticipated or unintended.

Once he had concluded in his own mind that he was going to remove her from her home in the dead of night and rape her, I think it was never his intention to let her live to tell the tale.

What 'cox said.