I do know that he is guilty, as I have followed this from day one, but, the court system in our country has gone totally down hill. We've seen it many times just on WS, so, the only hope we have is to believe that the jurors will do the right thing, and say GUILTY!! Sierra did not run away, us, that were here from the beginning know that. At first some of us speculated with I cant mention, but, that came to a quick halt. All I can do now is wait and see as it is with mainly all cases. I hope Justice is served for Sierra and her family. They have been incredibly patient waiting on this and that monster has ruined many lives just breathing air. Sierra, Rest in Peace wherever you are <3
I actually still think most juries still get it right each and every day when they sit in judgement of criminal defendants. Prosecutors on average still win their case 90% of the time.
I believe the reason we tend to think the criminal justice is failing is because we have 24/7 cable news now, and social media where cases that go sideways are known immediately. Most of the time its due to the defendant being well known or the case happened to be one classified by the media as high profile.
All of the countless criminal cases where the defendant/s are convicted each and every day in our country do not weigh on our minds nearly as much as those rare cases where the majority of the public felt/feels the victim/s did not/do not receive justice due to the defendant being found NG.
However; NG verdicts are in the small minority are still very rare compared to the ones ending in conviction. Those rare cases just makes an indelible mark in our memory due to the frustration, anger, and sadness felt because most truly believed a murderer/rapist walked away scott free. Those cases of injustice although uncommon are always remembered, and when they occasionally do happen then it makes people feel apprehensive about all murder defendants even though the overwhelming majority of murder defendants are found guilty.
That is why I try not to gauge present cases with past case verdicts in various states that have ended in NG for someone I was convinced was totally guilty. Each case really is totally different, and has a different jury on each one tried.
This is not a hard case. The evidence is there, and more than enough to convict, imo. Even though the defense has no burden of proof the jury does expect them to support their theory with facts. Lopez showed nothing to the jury that would convince them Sierra ran away never to be heard from again. The DA proved imo that the reasonable conclusion as to the reason she has been missing for five years is because she was murdered by AGT.
The DA had more than enough evidence to support his theory. Even with the DNA of Sierra's being on the door of his vehicle to HIS own gloves having Sierra's DNA on them, and the rope that belonged to him had her hair. Just those three pieces of evidence give a sickening visual image of Sierra being with the man who murdered her. He more than likely used the rope in order to drag her body while wearing the gloves.
Never mind he lied and said he had never seen or knew Sierra before she went missing. Guilty people lie, and for a reason so as to avoid detection, and cover up their crime. Never mind that HIS DNA was found on the urine soaked clothing of the missing victim. None of that will be lost on his jury and Lopez knows it too, imo.
The state didn't have to prove why AGT decided to put Sierra's book-bag and clothing in the shed. So I found Lopez' argument silly, and without merit. Only murderers know why they did a particular thing. Many of them aren't Mensa material either and a lot of them are just like AGT. Their own stupidity led to their downfall. So AGT certainly isn't the first dumb criminal that hid evidence that was then found by investigators nor will he be the last.
It was also ridiculous that Lopez was demanding to know HOW Sierra was murdered when that is not a legal requirement in any state for any Prosecutor to prove. Through the tweets done even by his admiring reporter, I found Lopez to be all show, full of bluster, but no substance. I wouldn't be surprised if he insulted some of the jurors' intelligence from time to time which is a very unwise thing to do.
So I will calmly wait for the verdicts to come in, and have only positive thoughts about the jury. I will continue to believe that justice will be done for Sierra and her family.
They also found her blood on his jacket even though he had taken it to the cleaners to be cleaned. That one was a true nail biting case. 13 days of waiting seemed like months.
