GUILTY MO - Kara Kopetsky, 17 in 2007; Jessica Runions, 21 in 2016; found deceased - *ARREST* #2

[Vail]

https://www.kshb.com/news/crime/yus...fense-to-continue-with-case-on-day-9-of-trial

"and umm.....

....

I'm sorry."

 

[Vail]

 

[Scout87]

https://www.kshb.com/news/crime/yus...fense-to-continue-with-case-on-day-9-of-trial

"and umm.....

....

I'm sorry."

"Umm...I'm sorry."

That's the best that the fool could muster up after claiming his dead brother is a serial killer who murdered his girlfriends. He's more concerned with being accused of peeing his pants than he is with accusations of murder, or that two women he supposedly loved are gone forever. What a coward.

He has caused so much pain. Praying the jury delivers justice to the fullest extent possible for Kara and Jessica, for their sweet mothers and families, and for anyone else that monster has hurt throughout his life.

 

[Vail]

29m
Jurors were allowed to take notes throughout the trial. They took them back into deliberations with them to go over the instructions and what Yust should be convicted of, if anything.

@MattFlenerKMBC
26m
Yust is upstairs in the courtroom, too, while the jury deliberates. I saw Kylr Yust and his attorney Molly Hastings sharing food out of the same plastic container. Couldn't tell exactly what they were eating.

@NorthCassHerald
19m
Legal teams are in the courtroom having dinner, victims' families have left the building for the time being. Defendant back in his holding cell (visible through the glass pane when the courtroom door opens).

 

[Vail]

Matt Flener KMBC
@MattFlenerKMBC
·
48s


The jury just asked questions: Could they have maps from both the prosecution and defense, and Al Yust's deposition? Also -- a smoke break. The judge granted the smoke break, but said the jury had to rely on collective memory for the other items.

I hope at least one of these jurors was as good at note taking as our journalists

 

[Vail]

4m
Jury wants to see Steve Edson testimony, a former Belton officer along with Yust’s grandfather’s testimony. Both denied. Told to use their memory.

Al Yust
Steve Edson

Officer Edson interviewed Kylr at Belton PD on 5/6/2007, two days after Kopetsky went missing and said he was talking about her in the past tense and admitted to grabbing and shaking her.

Jury is breaking for the day

 

[Niner]

Okay - I want to make sure I have these times correct.

On my screen I see that Verdict Watch started at 2:16am my time - so that would be 6:16pm CT - correct?
Also when the jury asked questions - my time is 4:19am - so that would be 8:19pm CT.

Did they stay that late? TIA!

And THANK YOU @Vail for all your posts on this case!

 

[Niner]

Thursday, April 15th:
*Trial continues (Day 10)-VERDICT WATCH! (Day 2)(@ 8:30am CT) – MO – Kara Elise Kopetsky (17) (last seen at Belton High, May 4, 2007, Belton; found by a mushroom hunter in rural Cass County near East 223rd & State Route Y on April 3, 2017) & Jessica S. Runions (21) (missing Sept. 8, 2016, Raymore; her car was found burned near Bannister & Blue River Rds. on Sept. 10, 2016. Found by mushroom hunters in rural Cass County near East 223rd & State Route Y on April 4, 2017) – *Kylr Charles Yust (18 in 2007/29/now 32) indicted (3/1/18) & arraigned (6/18/18) on 2 counts of 1st degree & 2 counts of abandonment of a corpse. Plead not guilty. $1M cash only bond. Originally charged with felony arson for burning Jessica’s car was dismissed on 10/5/17. Charges of 2 counts of abandonment of a corpse-dismissed on 3/4/21).
Trial began 4/5/21. Jury Selection started on 3/29/21 & ended on 3/31/21. Court will be held on Saturdays also. Held in Cass County & jurors from St. Charles County. Jurors will be sequestered throughout the trial (expected to last 3 weeks). Jury: 12 jurors & 3 alternates (12 women & 3 men). One alternate was released on 4/5/21.
Court info from 3/1/18 thru 3/11/21 & jury selection (3/31/21) & Day 1 thru Day 8 of trial (4/5 – 4/13/21) reference post #263 here:
VERDICT WATCH - MO - Kara Kopetsky, 17 in 2007; Jessica Runions, 21 in 2016; found deceased - *ARREST* #2
4/14/21 Wednesday, Day 9 of Trial: There was an argument about Tony Armstrong's testimony on Tues. Judge Collins reiterates he excluded Armstrong & any surveillance video Armstrong would reference. Collins says he allowed defense to include the video in evidence for an appeal. Defense is trying to argue again to include Lisa Taylor Austin, the psychotherapist who tried to decode the message found in Jessep Carter's jail cell. Judge Collins said he had reliability & relevance issues with her testimony, so he excluded her. The jury can deliberate several charges. 1st/2nd degree murder. Voluntary/involuntary manslaughter. Not guilty. The jury will get separate verdict forms for each case, according to the instructions Judge Collins is reading before the court.
Defense witnesses: 24) (77) Jon Thomas. Works for Jon Thomas & Associates, crime scene/fire investigation. Thomas reviewed Jessica Runions' SUV fire. He wrote a report. 25) (78) Dr. Ronald Henson with Beron Consulting. Henson an expert in drugs, alcohol & narcotics, testing in the work place; reviewed a toxicology report for Jessica Runions. They found nicotine & caffeine but no THC. 26) (79) Tim Riplinger, an employee for the Missouri state public defender's system. Testified he was able to get in a car & calculate the drive time from Yust's house (grandfather's house) in South KC & the location the mushroom hunter found human remains in Cass County. It took him 32 minutes to drive from south KC to the remains location. 27) (80) Eric Grabsky, digital forensic analyst with Envista Forensics. Analyed cell phones of Kara & Jessica's & Yust's. 28) (81) Kylr Yust. Yust on stand see posts #273, 275 thru 277 here:
VERDICT WATCH - MO - Kara Kopetsky, 17 in 2007; Jessica Runions, 21 in 2016; found deceased - *ARREST* #2
Video of Yust on stand see posts #281 & #282 here:
VERDICT WATCH - MO - Kara Kopetsky, 17 in 2007; Jessica Runions, 21 in 2016; found deceased - *ARREST* #2
Julie Tolle gives closing arguments for State. The jury will consider if Yust is guilty of manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter. The state says he is not guilty of those, he's guilty of 1st degree murder. See post #278 for State closing:
VERDICT WATCH - MO - Kara Kopetsky, 17 in 2007; Jessica Runions, 21 in 2016; found deceased - *ARREST* #2
Sheron Turlington gives closing arguments for defense. See post #279 for defense closing:
VERDICT WATCH - MO - Kara Kopetsky, 17 in 2007; Jessica Runions, 21 in 2016; found deceased - *ARREST* #2
Prosecution rebuttal by Julie Tolle. See post #280 here:
VERDICT WATCH - MO - Kara Kopetsky, 17 in 2007; Jessica Runions, 21 in 2016; found deceased - *ARREST* #2
Jury starts deliberations @ 6:15pm. The jury just asked questions (@ 8:19pm): Could they have maps from both the prosecution & defense & Al Yust's deposition & Steve Edson's testimony, former Belton officer? Also -- a smoke break. The judge granted the smoke break, but said the jury had to rely on collective memory for the other items.
Jury is breaking for the day @ 8:53pm CT. Jury deliberations continues on 4/15/21.

 

[Vail]

Okay - I want to make sure I have these times correct.

On my screen I see that Verdict Watch started at 2:16am my time - so that would be 6:16pm CT - correct?
Also when the jury asked questions - my time is 4:19am - so that would be 8:19pm CT.

Did they stay that late? TIA!

And THANK YOU @Vail for all your posts on this case!

Jury left the building at 10:12PM(22:12) CST which is 3:12am GMT. I think the official recess began at 10pm.

https://www.kshb.com/news/crime/yust-trial/journey-for-justice-podcast-kylr-yust-trial-update-no-9

 

[Niner]

Thank you @Vail! I shall correct my time.

 

[Vail]

1h
The jury has started deliberations. Kylr Yust and his defense attorneys are meeting in a small holding cell just off the courtroom. Yust’s attorney Matt Vigil brought a box of Lamar’s donuts. It is sitting on the defense’s table in the courtroom.

THE TRIAL OF KYLR YUST: Jurors will resume deliberations Thursday

 

[Vail]

39m


Good morning, North Cass. It's just after 10 a.m., the Kylr Yust jury has been at work nearly two hours today, and has asked for and received some exhibits to take a further look at. We're waiting to find out what those exhibits were. We'll keep you up to date.

50m


Prosecutor Ben Butler said, after consultation with the families of Kara Kopetsky and Jessica Runions, those families and prosecutors will not comment to the news media after the jury reaches a verdict.

The jury has had the case for almost six hours, now.

 

[Dre]

Gosh I really wish we could watch the verdict live!!!!
Goodbye, Kylr Yust.

I hate to add that after watching him take the stand, he was somewhat compelling. I obviously don't believe him but I am a bit more worried about the jury than when I made this comment

 

[Jewels53]

This was an hr ago.

Sherae Honeycutt@sheraehoneycutt

Checking in. We haven't heard anything new, and no new questions since this morning. Yust took a lunch break. The defense is waiting in the courtroom. #YustTrial
[URL='https://twitter.com/sheraehoneycutt/status/1382745963035389955']12:21 PM · Apr 15, 2021[/URL]

 

[Dre]

Just in: still waiting.
https://twitter.com/MattFlenerKMBC/status/1382774542280450051?s=20
"Yust and his defense team remain seated in the courtroom as the jury deliberates. The families are in a separate building as they wait....
We are nearing 10 hours the jury has had the case."

 

[Vail]

I'm a little concerned. Sounds like someone think's he is innocent or no one payed attention and now they're all confused.

The prosecution could have done a better job laying out both murders with a timeline and how the evidence they do have supports it all. They also failed to ask some questions that seem important and I'm not sure why they didn't/couldn't such as asking Jaxon what he last saw Jessica wearing (black skinny jeans, like the material they found in the burn barrel?) or asking Crystal was Kylr's face burned when you met up with him or after he got back in the car from Uncle Pauls or was it after they came back from wherever they went for 45 mins?

Instead, they are really relying heavily on the confessions and the jury's intuition or ability to pick up on things like his phrasing.

I do not think the defense established reasonable doubt with their accusations of random people because they failed to connect those people to Kylr or Jessica beyond his own testimony. But pros may have failed to PROVE the actual acts by failing to help the jury understand how it played out (at least in the testimony we know about from tweets). They did a great job establishing motive and opportunity, though.

As for Yust being compelling - I mean yeah that is his thing right. He had a nice face, and he can charm and be sweet until he isn't. You'd have to be an absolute idiot as a juror to get fooled into forming an opinion about a suspect based on his testimony, of course he is going to be sweet etc (Jodi Arias anyone)

 

[Dre]

The jury asks for a report on Crystal & Jessep’s phone. They also asked for a map drawing Cass & Jackson County lines. They were given the report, but not the map. They were told to use their collective memories. #YustTrial

https://twitter.com/sheraehoneycutt/status/1382784978145185793?s=20

 

[Dre]

Jury requesting to see exhibits 39,40,23,25,27 - again we are assuming they look like phone records. The state attys wheeled in boxes full of stacks of paper. A LOT to review so the judge said we're in a short recess so defense has time to review first. #YustTrial
https://twitter.com/SarahPlakeTV/status/1382793972133679104?s=20


Judge is wheeling in all the exhibits to the jurors now.

I think this might take a loooong time. moo

 

[Jewels53]

I am thinking and hoping the jury is being very thorough.

 

[Vail]

1m
Jury says they do not feel qualified to make a decision on count 2 (Runions) instruction 19 w/o seeing map of Cass/Jackson county line. This specifically deals with Yust being present in Cass Co. from 11:42 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. from Sept. 8, 2016-Sept. 9, 2016.
2m
This time frame is directly after Jessica Runions was last seen.

1m
There are multiple instructions. This one instruction, 19, says if the jury finds that Yust was in Cass county between those timeframes, they should find him guilty

(can you imagine how ridiculous it would be if they found him guilty of killing Kara but not Jessica)