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

[sloothseeker]

this posted today - seeking death penalty. I believe the DNA and state crime lab are going to work against the prosecution.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/8788650/

 

[Prancy]

this posted today - seeking death penalty. I believe the DNA and state crime lab are going to work against the prosecution.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/8788650/

It will be tough. I do not envy the prosecution. It was my understanding the problem with the SBI was blood spatter, not DNA. Still, I think that the scrutiny of a trial with the facts of this case is going to be challenging to say the least.

This will be one case that I will be very interested in.

 

[sloothseeker]

It's been a year! case will hopefully be coming up for trial soon........

 

[laces]

It's been a year! case will hopefully be coming up for trial soon........

A year...and it is just as sad. Do you ever wonder why God allows bad things to happen to good people? I do. What are we guaranteed in life? Only that He will love us, and always have a place for us...but that sometimes does not seem enough to the loved ones left behind.

 

[diphi]

A year...and it is just as sad. Do you ever wonder why God allows bad things to happen to good people? I do. What are we guaranteed in life? Only that He will love us, and always have a place for us...but that sometimes does not seem enough to the loved ones left behind.

Very thought provoking, laces. I wonder those things all the time.

 

[borndem]

At a WCCH status hearing today, 07/20/11, a trial date was set for Jason Williford for the rape and murder of Kathy Taft.

Principals present were Judge Donald Stephens, ADA Howard Cummings (with a brief appearance by C. Willoughby who went over to HC and whispered in his ear, and then exited camera range), And defense attys. Diane Savage and Ernest Conner.

Trial date was set for March 5, 2012.

Since Conner has another murder trial scheduled in March, JS decided to appoint another attorney from the State Defender's Office in case Conner is involved with the other trial (in Chowan County).

Conner referred to previous conversations he had had with Saacks, so it sounds like Saacks may be an ADA on the case, too. Conner reminded the Court that a plea deal was never offered (*as if* :floorlaugh::giggle: ).

Conner also mentioned that this case has "mental health issues." Hmmmmm. What -- alcoholism, meth, coke, crack, or is JW just cracked??

The link below has a link for the status hearing video. The defendant was not present at this hearing.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/9884572/

 

[borndem]

I haven't looked at the statues lately, but I think that it would still be first degree murder by virtue of Felony Murder Rule, so that if someone is killed during the commission of a felony, it's first degree. Correct me if I'm wrong. So I don't think he had to have the intent to murder or if he was too drunk to intend to murder, then the felony murder rule would still apply. Question is was he too drunk to form the intent to rape or commit burglary? Hmmm.

Apparently he wasn't too drunk to rape her & leave evidence...Seems to me that fact would sink that approach. Meth, however, might be a different story, but I don't know very much about what meth does to you...

 

[borndem]

I have been wondering what the significance of the paint is. Could he have been sniffing the fumes? That's the only thing I can think of and if so why is that significant?

Williford's wife is an artist, so that might account for the paint tubes...

Ever since I saw this on the seized list, along with the shoes (which I assumed to be men's), I have wondered if a paint smear was found at the murder house -- like from a smear from a shoe.... just a wild & rambling thought, probably reaching to account for both items on the list...

 

[borndem]

Just a point of clarification - they may list her that way, but if you look at the the Wake County real estate website, JF is not listed as owner. A couple owns all four units, and JF's name is not listed.

Yes -- all four are rental units.

 

[borndem]

Now you know i have no idea what kwim means!
keep well in mind; keep wearing indigo mukluks; kept well inside me......

i'm another one who can think too much, but i am trying in my old age to pare it down a bit.

kangaroos will incite melees

keen women inspire magicians

kleptomaniacs want illegal merchandise

Ya got me, kwim?

 

[borndem]

Williford was booked into Wake County jail but moved to Central Prison in Raleigh on April 20.

Read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/04/24/451980/taft-suspects-dna-taken-day-of.html#ixzz0m2Gacwho

Hmmm.
That usually means suicidal or in need of medical care

Possibly DT's or drug withdrawal? Does one have that with meth? or crack?

I seem to be stuck on meth, but he does appear to be very thin.

 

[borndem]

DH does state it as a question which has seemed odd to me too. Perhaps KT was still propped up per dr orders and if DH was with KT at plastic surgeon and dr's orders were not to "lie flat" that would explain DH's bizarre response?

Hi, Slooth -- I know this response is to something you posted more than a year ago, but since we really have no more details than we had then -- or barely no more since the LEO's are keeping things close to the vest, as it s/be -- I'll give my opinion....

After a severe head blow, the body is essentially on "auto-pilot" -- all the brain can do now is breathe, swallow, and barely react to outside events. She was probably in a fetal position since that is usually what the body does while it is shutting down any non-essential functions. That they had her on a ventilator at the hospital shows that even that function of her brain was failing. Oh, poor little KT -- she was so cute & petite in life. I truly think that the KT her family & friends knew, ceased to be very shortly after the big blow was delivered. And that is a good thing, I guess -- no more pain or struggle -- she was no longer KT.

 

[borndem]

AMEN and this whole thing is irrational!

I could understand if KT was there by herself but with DH as well -unless JW wasnt aware of that.

If he entered the house after DH had gone upstairs, he probably had no idea she was there -- he may have assumed the single car out front did not belong to anyone at G's house. I know the area, and some of the houses do not have driveways so they park in the street. JW may have assumed a neighbor or visitor had parked there.

I think he entered to look for a free beer or liquor and to check for meds or cocaine, saw KT, and just decided to do...whatever, and then freaked when she scratched him or hit him.

I think he probably had entered that house from time to time, when G was o/o town. It may be that he used that house to do whatever drugs he did not want his wife to know about -- I'm still hung-up on meth as a possibility. JW did not have a job, but may have gone to his classes at Wake Tech, but he certainly would have known when G was gone.... just my theory and opinion thus far..

 

[wheaten]

Today's N&O has obituary for JG.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/newsobserver/obituary.aspx?n=john-m-geil&pid=152784107&fhid=5774

 

[borndem]

Wow, wheaten, thanks for posting the Geil obit link for us. I saw it in the NandO this morning, and was shocked. I didn't know him at all, but our neighbor knew him from Kinston when they were kids, from Woodberry, and from UNC law school. They were schoolmates off & on in several phases of their lives.

This will be a bit of a blow for the ADAs, IMO, but I'm hopeful that Geil had done some affys for them. Our neighbor, also an atty, had commented that Geil lad a lot of friends, had some "old Raleigh" connections (thus CCClub), was very active in UNC alum doings & sports, liked to party & to host parties with small gatherings, and was a "good guy." I feel that Geil's death will hit our friend pretty hard.

 

[sloothseeker]

see link for latest...
http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/10202208/

 

[borndem]

Thanks, sloothseeker for the link. :seeya: bbm

If I heard correctly just now on WRAL TV's 11:00pm news, they mentioned that autism may be part of his diminished mental capacity defense. In all my reading and research on this case, and this one is my greatest passion for many reasons, I have not seen or heard a word about autism in relation to JW until now. IMO, it is a slap in the face to those persons & families who struggle with this disorder every day.

Although a quick lashing-out may sometimes be a reaction of those afflicted with autism (and of some of us who aren't), murder & rape are not common acts in which they engage. (Please forgive my use of the cold and prejudicial-sounding words, "them" or "those," because it is unintentional.)

In my comparatively limited knowledge of autism -- and I have done some research into the disorder and have talked with several close friends who are parents of autistic children and adults -- physical closeness, particularly with strangers, is not something that is common for autistic children or adults to wish to do. Certainly if JW does have this disorder, he could be an exception to the rule. At this point in this horrible case, just put me in the "skeptical" column at this time...

::

 

[diphi]

Just stopping by; it's been awhile. I didn't know about JG's passing or the possible autism defense (?).

IMO

 

[laces]

I also did not know of this untimely death. How very sad for his family and friends. Maybe a reunion for him and Ms. Taft. I hope so.

 

[diphi]

Thanks, sloothseeker for the link. :seeya: bbm

If I heard correctly just now on WRAL TV's 11:00pm news, they mentioned that autism may be part of his diminished mental capacity defense. In all my reading and research on this case, and this one is my greatest passion for many reasons, I have not seen or heard a word about autism in relation to JW until now. IMO, it is a slap in the face to those persons & families who struggle with this disorder every day.

Although a quick lashing-out may sometimes be a reaction of those afflicted with autism (and of some of us who aren't), murder & rape are not common acts in which they engage. (Please forgive my use of the cold and prejudicial-sounding words, "them" or "those," because it is unintentional.)

In my comparatively limited knowledge of autism -- and I have done some research into the disorder and have talked with several close friends who are parents of autistic children and adults -- physical closeness, particularly with strangers, is not something that is common for autistic children or adults to wish to do. Certainly if JW does have this disorder, he could be an exception to the rule. At this point in this horrible case, just put me in the "skeptical" column at this time...

::

BBM

I'm skeptical, too. Know what I mean (kwim)?

IMO