GUILTY NC - Kathy Taft, 62, Raleigh, 6 March 2010 - #5

[Just the Fax]

I would think the object would have blood and hair on it. I'm sure they've looked for that evidence on eveything in JG's home as well as JW's.
Would they release information about that....meaning, "we didn't find any evidence on the objects tested"

The SW would not have test results. They could have done a phenolphthalein presumptive blood test at his apartment to see if hidden blood was present, but they would not publish that info in the inventory of items seized.

They took golf clubs from JG's home and a hammer from JW's apartment.
I doubt there will ever be a trial, so we may never hear what the cops think he used.

 

[sloothseeker]

So what was the "heavy blunt object" used to pulverize her skull and produce a "depressed fracture" severe enough to cause brain death?

Perhaps a bass guitar - or would that splinter upon impact?

 

[Just the Fax]

Perhaps a bass guitar - or would that splinter upon impact?

Why the cops took his guitar is very odd.
I was thinking maybe it was traced to a known burglary and was 'hot'?

 

[sloothseeker]

The amateur tv lawyer in me fears this case will be a plea to 2nd degree murder or worse - manslaughter (if possible) due to all the inconsistencies and speculation, contamination of crime scene by EMS, contamination of body while in hospital and how LE went about obtaining the dna from the cigarette butt.

I sure hope LE and DA's office has iron clad evidence that can convince a jury if it goes to trial - just too many unanswered questions based on what little the public knows.

 

[sloothseeker]

The biggest question I still have is did he enter the intention of raping KT or was it presented as sudden opportunity and he acted? If he did not plan to encounter anyone in the home, he likely would not carry a weapon in with him (bat or perhaps a hammer)

IMO - given JW's history of B/E, drugs and alcohol - he probably DID NOT enter with the intent to rape; however, something caused him to "snap". Perhaps KT confronted him or perhaps seeing her medical state". Clearly not a young man thinking rational.

 

[Prancy]

I don't have concern for the way LE obtained DNA from the cigarette butt, but I worry about timelines and inconsistencies in them being able to place the defendant at the scene at the correct time. I hope all of that can be worked out before trial.

As far as the weapon goes, it may not contain blood and hair if her head and hair was covered with guaze and tape. All of the blood would have been caught by the bandages. The blood would have resulted after it filled the bandages and then leaked out slowly. So it would not have resulted in the same blood splatter and cast off that you would normally expect.

We had been operating on the assumption she had the form fitting pull on type bandage you wear when you have neck surgery. A photo of it was posted previously. Since the autopsy reveals that she did NOT have neck surgery, I guess we have to look to what type of head bandages you would wear after a face lift. I'll see what I can find.

I am still curious as to why when someone has a facelift and breast augmentation, would you tell medical professionals who are trying to help give you life saving emergency instruction, they had neck surgery. I don't understand this.

 

[Prancy]

I'm getting conflicting information. Some doctors are saying the bandages are thick and bulky for 24 hours post surgery and others say they no longer do that. However, we do know that KT had some due to the report from DH to the 911 caller.

http://www.realself.com/question/bandaging-facelift



Here is a photo of the dressing after facelift. It covers as much if not more than the one does for neck surgery IMO.
http://fotosa.ru/stock_photo/Fancy by Veer/p_2686660.jpg

 

[sloothseeker]

I am still curious as to why when someone has a facelift and breast augmentation, would you tell medical professionals who are trying to help give you life saving emergency instruction, they had neck surgery. I don't understand this.

Perhaps DH was still groggy from the sinus medication since she also forgot her car wasnt parked out front and the hour and a half time lapse from first finding KT and the first 911 call (if the autospy report) was correct.

Not really a reliable/credible witness, imo

 

[susubaby]

JTF- Do you feel comfortable in giving us an idea what type of field your profession is in? You are extremely knowledgeable about the law, and all that comes with it etc. and I am just curious about your profession.

 

[TruthBTold]

A neck lift and face lift are often done in combination-the incision sites are the same behind the ear-but there is sometimes also an incision under the chin-also, she would have had to keep her head elevated after the face lift.

I don't think KT would have been up and about the day of her surgery-usually takes a day or two to do more than go to the bathroom.

 

[wheaten]

A neck lift and face lift are often done in combination-the incision sites are the same behind the ear-but there is sometimes also an incision under the chin-also, she would have had to keep her head elevated after the face lift.

I don't think KT would have been up and about the day of her surgery-usually takes a day or two to do more than go to the bathroom.

i had the same face surgery (and from what i hear, by the same surgeon, who imo is excellent). head was bandaged almost mummylike, i couldn't chew anything, and was uncomfortable until the pain pill put me to sleep. big bandage off the following day, with some expected swelling; bruising more pronounced on second post op day. lucky for me i had caretakers who looked in on me hourly for the next three days. hard to find comfortable position for head.
stitches out i think on day four.

 

[Maja]

The amateur tv lawyer in me fears this case will be a plea to 2nd degree murder or worse - manslaughter (if possible) due to all the inconsistencies and speculation, contamination of crime scene by EMS, contamination of body while in hospital and how LE went about obtaining the dna from the cigarette butt.

I sure hope LE and DA's office has iron clad evidence that can convince a jury if it goes to trial - just too many unanswered questions based on what little the public knows.

As I stated earlier, IMHO this case will not make it to court and JW will plead insanity.

At an AA meeting someone once said, "I'm sure glad I never killed anyone in a drunken state". Another member responded, "How do you know you didn't"?

 

[sloothseeker]

...the pain pill put me to sleep.

Did the pain medication/surgery render you incapacitated such that iyo someone in a similar state and being attacked could not call out or try to defend themselves before having their skull crushed.

 

[wheaten]

Did the pain medication/surgery render you incapacitated such that iyo someone in a similar state and being attacked could not call out or try to defend themselves before having their skull crushed.

my thinking and mobility were definitely affected by the pain med (this in addition to the other meds that had been given at the time of the procedure that morning: pain med, anesthesia, anti-nausea med). i had to be helped to the bathroom, couldn't walk steadily on my own that night and some of the next day.
i've thought a lot about kt and think it's possible that in what was probably her heavily sedated state, the whole thing may have seemed like a surreal nightmare. sure hope it didn't seem real to her.
oh, to answer the question, yes, i think she could call for help but probably not put up much of a defense.

 

[Prancy]

With Wheaton's story, I'm wondering if KT could not have put up much of a fight due to her medication, then why was it necessary to strike her so hard in the head. Some lighter slaps with a hand would have been sufficient or just threatening her. He could easily have held her down. It's such a mystery.

 

[Noway]

Maybe the blows were intended to kill.

Maybe he was under the influence of drugs/alcohol and did not realize the force of the blows?

 

[Prancy]

People react differently to substances. I realize that, but I have experience with people who always blamed what they did on substances, but were equally as cruel, violent and mean when not under the influence. I also caught them rehashing stories of things they had claimed they didn't remember. They did remember and would correct someone if they missed a detail. It makes me skeptical.

Pehaps there are people who really black out. Then we have that sleepwalking defense......naaayyyyy...

 

[crocus]

Did he have a fight/argument in the days prior to his attack on NT? Something that set off his inner beast?

I agree with you Prancy. The meaness is there whether under an influence or not.

It says something, though that he attacked a woman all swathed in bandages and obviously somewhat incapacitated. It took an obvious physically recovering woman for him to feel some sort of power?

 

[wheaten]

Did he have a fight/argument in the days prior to his attack on NT? Something that set off his inner beast?

I agree with you Prancy. The meaness is there whether under an influence or not.

It says something, though that he attacked a woman all swathed in bandages and obviously somewhat incapacitated. It took an obvious physically recovering woman for him to feel some sort of power?

so if i was incapacitated from facelift, kt was doubly so since she also had breast procedure. does anyone know what type bandage is used in what apparently was "subpectoral" implant? with bandaged head and chest and pain meds...how vulnerable she was.

 

[TruthBTold]

I think subpectoral means behind the muscle-she would have had stitches under each breast, covered in gauze and would have been wearing a special bra over the wrappings-her chest muscles would be very soar, and her breasts would have been swollen and very tender. I have been a caretaker for someone who has had this done-and I had to help rearrange pillows, I had to help her sit up and then stand up to go to the bathroom-she wanted as little movement as possible the first day-it was painful just to watch.
Anyone in this situation would scream out in pain just if they changed position in bed or bumped into something-so something stopped her from making noise if DH was in the house and did not hear anything.