GUILTY IL - 5 Gee/Constant family members murdered in Beeson, 21 Sept 2009

[tlcya]

http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x930797609/Defense-attorneys-seek-testimony-from-video-violence-expert

LINCOLN — Attorneys for accused Gee family killer Christopher Harris want a video game violence expert to testify at trial, apparently to bolster the defense’s theory that one of the teenage victims was responsible for the massacre.

much more at link. Sigh. Shades of the Anthony trial IMO (George was a molester who made FICA into the monster she is and oh, by the way, little Caylee died on his watch )

 

[tlcya]

On April 19, the judge and lawyers will meet for what was described as “an open house” to familiarize themselves with the Peoria County court facilities. Drazewski moved the trial to Peoria in response to a defense motion for a change of venue.

The trial is scheduled to begin April 29 and is expected to last several weeks.

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/loca...cle_2ec28db2-7246-11e2-a9c8-0019bb2963f4.html

 

[tlcya]

http://herald-review.com/news/local...cle_04c42132-7279-11e2-8b61-0019bb2963f4.html

Lawyers for Harris are expected to argue that their client walked in on a bloody melee in which 14-year-old Dillen Constant had killed his family and Harris was forced to kill the teen in self-defense. The defense has portrayed the boy as having mental health issues and a fondness for violent video games.

Illinois Assistant Attorney General Michael Atterberry did not object to hiring the expert.

 

[AmandaReckonwith]

This case drives me crazy... goes on and on and on... now more details are dripping out slowly.

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/loca...cle_04beaf2e-77e5-11e2-994a-0019bb2963f4.html

New stuff in this link-

*The brothers had been consuming alcohol, marijuana and cocaine before the murders.

*The biggest scene of "mortal combat" was in a hallway.

*Chris was interviewed 3x before being arrested and each time denied any knowledge of the murders.
(at the first one, shouldn't he have told he was there and saved himself and his brother from the menacing 140 lb 14yr old who'd murdered the fam??? --which is the stupidest defense theory to date-- )

*Chris said Ruth was having an affair. (with whom? him? it doesn't say)

It is a very informative article, and not more of the usual blahblahblah.

I have added it to the Case Archive.

 

[tlcya]

http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x930803147/Defense-wants-jurors-to-see-Beason-crime-scene

A judge in central Illinois has set an April 1 hearing date to consider a request from defense attorneys who want jurors to see the scene where five members of a Beason family were killed in 2009.

 

[AmandaReckonwith]

Trial for Christopher begins Monday in Peoria IL with jury selection.

Finally.

 

[joe jones]

http://www.sj-r.com/top-stories/x1424271265/First-trial-to-begin-in-slaying-of-family

I had never heard before that Jason Harris had told LE that he saw his brother come out of the house after Dillen,

that is not self defence if he was chasing after Dillen

 

[joe jones]

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/loca...cle_e8af20a2-a95d-11e2-b09b-001a4bcf887a.html

appears Jason is expected to testify at his brothers trial,

 

[joe jones]

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/loca...cle_b9741d6e-9dfb-11e2-8b88-001a4bcf887a.html

jury will not visit the murder scene,

 

[AmandaReckonwith]

http://www.sj-r.com/top-stories/x1424271265/First-trial-to-begin-in-slaying-of-family

I had never heard before that Jason Harris had told LE that he saw his brother come out of the house after Dillen,

that is not self defence if he was chasing after Dillen

Jason has told multiple stories about what happened.

This is the first I'd heard this one too.... but it might be bad reporting (?). All the bodies were found inside the home. My guess is just bad reporting.... imagine... Dillen just having killed the whole family, then runs out. The Harris brothers would have called LE right them and there, having come upon a horrific murder scene. Not chased him back inside to kill him.

It is a completely stupid defense strategy, but one that might just work given the way half-asleep juries stupidity we have seen before.

 

[AmandaReckonwith]

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/loca...cle_b9741d6e-9dfb-11e2-8b88-001a4bcf887a.html

jury will not visit the murder scene,

Since 2009 the house has been boarded up (never cleaned up the aftermath of the 5 murders) and now it is considered a health hazard.

Nicole (via Chris' attorney) a while back asked for the home to be released. That must be on hold until after the trials.


eta:
Here's the home from google maps, 3/2012:






The theory of what happened, in symbol form:

 

[tlcya]

just saw on WICS ABC news channel 20 that the trial could start as early as jury selection tomorrow (tuesday) They don't have the story linked on their site yet but here is something from the Peoria Journal Star

http://www.pjstar.com/news/x140270416/Beason-slayings-trial-could-start-this-week

Attorneys for Christopher Harris and those with the Illinois Attorney General's Office will be in Peoria on Monday to hash out final pretrial motions on what jurors can and can't hear during Harris' murder trial. Jury selection is to begin Tuesday and could last several days.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x930797609/Defense-attorneys-seek-testimony-from-video-violence-expert



much more at link. Sigh. Shades of the Anthony trial IMO (George was a molester who made FICA into the monster she is and oh, by the way, little Caylee died on his watch )

It reminds me somewhat of the Arias case. No mention of self defense when the crime was committed. The false self defense claim came as an afterthought when the attorneys needed to have a defense of some kind.

I believe the defense claims are going to offend the jury.

 

[tlcya]

It reminds me somewhat of the Arias case. No mention of self defense when the crime was committed. The false self defense claim came as an afterthought when the attorneys needed to have a defense of some kind.

I believe the defense claims are going to offend the jury.

everyone I know in the area who is awaiting this trial find this defense highly offensive. I hope the jury does as well.

I think you are right, the jury will find it as pathetic and disrespectful as we.

 

[AmandaReckonwith]

I was trying to find something in the archive and stumbled upon a couple articles from Feb2012. Chris Harris' former attorney asked to get excused from the case because Chris told another inmate (who was also Elmores client) something incriminating about the Gee murders.

The new defense Naylor and Fultz took over and that is when Chris suddenly became self-defender against a kid.

 

[joe jones]

http://herald-review.com/news/local...cle_2eaf983c-b158-11e2-a83f-001a4bcf887a.html

judge denies defence motion to allows statement his mother allegedly made about Dillen

 

[oceanblueeyes]

everyone I know in the area who is awaiting this trial find this defense highly offensive. I hope the jury does as well.

I think you are right, the jury will find it as pathetic and disrespectful as we.

The Prosecutor has to know this is a bunch of baloney and that he can refute their claims based on the evidence.

I think they are probably going to have jail snitches testify for the state. Loose lips sink ships many times. I think they made all of this up once the evidence came back and discovery was given to the defense. Murderers like this often brag about their deeds in jail. I think that is going to come back to haunt him.

They, like Arias, are trying to weave a tale of deceit using bits and pieces of evidence and not the entire evidence that shows the total picture of who did these horrible murders.

If this insults the jury's intelligence he will get the max.

IMO

 

[joe jones]

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/loca...cle_3ad9adda-ae9e-11e2-ba34-001a4bcf887a.html

state drops some charges including alleged sexual assault of Justina

 

[tlcya]

http://www.cinewsnow.com/news/local...r-trial-to-begin-Tuesday-205237591.html?vid=a

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/stat...cle_f0dfe0fe-b0f1-11e2-97b6-001a4bcf887a.html

 

[tlcya]

Pantagraph.com will have live coverage from the courtroom. Check back here throughout the day for updates

good, we can get updates throughout the day.

9:30 aam the state has dismissed 19 murder charges against Chris Harris along with charges of alleged criminal sexual assault of victim Justina Constant. The dismissals are part of the state's effort to narrow the case for jurors. Chris Harris is not in court today,electing to stay in jail for the initial phase of jury selection. Thirty nine murder counts remain.

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/loca...cle_3ad9adda-ae9e-11e2-ba34-001a4bcf887a.html