I may be in the minority but here goes.
I believe Josh Young is a pawn to a murderer, ~ before ~ during ~ and after
I believe that Gouker killed Trey Zwicker, that poor boy. I believe that Trey unknowingly hit some nerve with something he said and set Gouker's short fuse ablaze. The Only definitive physical evidence shows that Trey was hit with a thin rod or pole like instrument not a full sized baseball bat. Head injuries could have been a bat, or not, leaving reasonalbe doubt.
I believe Gouker set Young up at Cassies, Both Amanda and her daughter testified that Josh did not sleep at Amanda's house the night of the murder. Cassy and JY said so too.
I believe that Gouker killed Trey then and used every gile he had to get his minions, wittingly or unwittingly to cover for him. Including Amanda. He knew from the start he would be going to prison again for a long time. Here is where Josh made a life changing choice, he trusted his father, the choice of a boy who needs a parent set his trust in the man he had known for 6 weeks as his father. A 15 year old boy who had no one, had lost one parent, did not want to lose another parent.
I believe that 15 year old Josh cared for and trusted Gouker. Gouker treated him like he was someone. And I believe that in those 6 weeks Gouker had that kids trust. He had no idea how wrong that decision of trusting his father would be. As one of the posters here pointed out Gouker's fatherly love was equal to ownership of Young and that meant Gouker felt he was entitled to throw his son under the bus because he was his father.
A parent with Goukers moral code, OMG>> I mean he let him skip school, drink, smoke pot, hang with his friends, JY was free from any restraints for the first time in years and he liked it. JY thought his father was what cool was, and he was wrong. Gouker was funny and people liked him, all the adults around Gouker did these things so it must be okay, so Josh follow along like a puppy. Did that make Josh a murderer, no. In my opinion. It made him a pawn to a murderer.
key peices of evidence IMO:
1) No physical evidence linking Josh Young to the crime. No definitive proof that a bat was used at the murder. The only physical evidence on the body was caused by a thin metal rod or pole. Other injuries two very respected ME's are not able to associate to a full size louisville slugger bat. ME's say if a bat was used it would be splattered all over with blood. This blows the hiding of physical evidence if there was no bat in the first place and/or no proof of a bat leaving reasonable doubt.
2) Cassie the Kissing Cousin *related by adoptive marrige not by blood, but still gives me the ..EWE..factor
Beyond NOT Credible IMO I dont believe her testimony about JY confessing.
She had Goukers phone for months after the murder, and they talked all the time. She stated that she would do anything for Gouker. She would lie for him. She stated that she was Goukers sexual partner for years. She said she didn't think one of her children is his "but he could be"..
Cassies says JoshY came in her room 3 times, the third time with a bloody bat, then embelished her story saying that the third time Gouker was there too. Her phone tape was a joke, guided by Gouker. First she states she was alone. Then she says that her boyfriend and two children where there too. So at one point there were 6 people in the room, she thinks. She stated that the bat had a large single area of blood on the bat in a dark room. She and John both are told by thier lawyers that they could face jail time for changing thier story about JY's confession because the deal they made on the theft charge of Amanda's garage. They are not permitted to change their story of JY's confession because if they did thier freedom would be revoked.
3) The older woman who was carjacked and taken to Birmingham
Credible
She states in no uncertain terms twice that Sahaira passed a gun to Gouker. She states that Josh was not intimidating but looked like a boy in a situation he did not want to be in. She felt Gouker was trying to decide to kill her in those woods but she was able to defuse his paranioa. Josh was very, very quiet for the entire time she was with them. She said he looked scared when she left. She said she looked in his eyes to convey that everything would be okay. I personally saw JY cry as she was on the stand. I think because after the barrage of Goukers pawns, telling lies to save themselves, she was the only one who told the truth about what was going on in that car.
4) Josh changing story about where he slept. I believe he was relying the story that Gouker and Amanda had relayed to him. Amanda, Cassy, Kinsey (amanda's daughter), John, and Josh said he did in fact spend the night at Cassies house.
5) Amanda she is a greiving mother and my heart breaks for her. She is also angry about the manipulation she suffered from Gouker. She wants anyone associated with him to pay for her loss, and she really does not give a wit about Josh Young he should pay, guilty or not. She takes no responsibilty for bringing Gouker who had previously assaulted her in a violent way, a violent convicted felon freshly out of prison into her home. Amanda participated and allowed pot smoking, drinking etc, around her children. She willing lied to CPS to allow Gouker to get Josh. She has lost both her children, one to murder, one for not having good judgement as a parent. I do not believe a lot of her story. The story Amanda intially put in place was to protect Gouker. She knew he was violent and she had the bruises to prove it. Amanda could of had Gouker arrested the day Trey was found if she just told the truth of his violence. Goukers parole would have been revoked and he would of gone straight back to prison, boom. But Amanda said nothing and protected Gouker, and herself from losing her daughter to CPS. (which eventually happened anyway) If she truly wanted to protect her daughter she would have told the police the truth from the beginging. But she did not.
6) List of people stating Josh told them he killed Trey Zwicker with a bat:
Gouker, Josh's full time father for 6 weeks before the murder. A convicted violent felon who would go straight to jail again after just getting out.
Cassie, Goukers kissing cousin, who's loyality was to Gouker, and possibly father to one of her kids.
Sahaira, Goukers friend of a Angelika, who states she was taken against her will forced into a pill induced stuper for 4 days straight,
Who alledgely handed a gun to Gouker in the car, and what little she does remember is Gouker told Josh to tell her he killed Trey with a bat.
John, Cassies Boyfriend, admittedly a drunk, Stated he was afriad of Gouker, and would basically do what Cassy tells him to do.
Angelika Gouker's casual lover and party mate. Sho cried on the phone with police for 5 minutes saying Josh did not do it, before Gouker was finally able to get her to lie.
None of these people are credible witnesses in my opinion. All of them have strong reasons to lie about Josh Young confessing to murder. I believe he never told any of these folks he killed Josh with a bat.
Furthermore, I believe Josh Young had no idea his, own father who JY trusted, Josh Gouker was furiously setting up this false trail of albis for himself from the start.
I think Josh Young should be aquitted, and I think Josh Young should go back to his foster family who has now adopted his little sister and pick up the positive trajectory his life was on, before 6 weeks with a physcopathic manipulating violent criminal father threw him into this nightmare. He is only 17 now, has spent 2 years in prison, that's long enough for what I see as just having a crazy father. I dont think he belongs jail any longer.
