VERDICT WATCH NY - Dr. Mary Yoder, 60, fatally poisoned, Whitesboro, 22 July 2015

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I'm over at reporter Micaela Parker's twitter as she covers what's going on in the courtroom today. It almost beats watching a trial with no waiting for the sidebars to be over. Thank You Ms. Parker for covering this trial so well.

:judge: https://twitter.com/od_parker?lang=en

William, the husband is on stand being questioned. There's lots of info in these tweets from the courtroom. Apparently, the son Adam worked at his parent's office 2012-2013. He and Conley were seeing each other on and off during that time. She took over in the office when Adam returned to school. Conley had a key to the office, and could go in on non-office days to work in private.

7/2015 status of relationship? Think in an off phase bc Adam would ask she not be incl in family gatherings.
Click to expand...

A lot of pertinent questions asked about breakfasts and lunches, and even about Mary's gardening due to colchicine being present in the crocus plant. However, no crocus in her garden. BTW, William never had gout, nor did Mary have gout. No one in the immediate family had gout.

What would Mary have for lunch? Sometimes bring in salad, usually mix up protein shake and drink at office.
Click to expand...

Conley would go out to eat or bring back take out.
Click to expand...

:seeya: Be back later
 
I'm right there with you, Curious!

ETA- I'm kind of thinking defense may be able to raise reasonable doubt.
 
https://twitter.com/od_parker?lang=en

This is what I gathered from reading this morning's tweets from the courtroom. Please be aware this is written in my own words from my own notes just to share with you some of the little details.

:sleuth:

Apparently, William's father died and left him some money. Mary 60, and William 70, started planning a first real vacation in their marriage. They were going to go to Europe for a month Sept 5 to Oct 5. They had arranged another chiropractor to come once a week for the month they'd be gone.

:coffeews:

After Mary's death and at the request of the ME's office, William went through every shelf and collected all the supplements in the house and turned them over.

:online:

William was a philosophy professor in the 1970s-1980s and did smoke pot. Mary and he did grow a small amount, only keeping less than an ounce for themselves, and sharing some with family and friends. Seemed like a personal subject William found embarrassing to discuss on stand. I don't know why they're even questioning about pot, and trying to connect it to colchicine. It seems unnecessary to bring it up, IMO.

:tsktsk:

Mary's mother is 92 and sometimes Mary would go check In on her making a lunch time visit. Mary had five sisters. After Mary's death, William didn't want to be alone at all and tried to stay close to family. One of his sister-in-laws had lost her own husband a year prior and could understand. The relationship didn't become romantic until Sept. 2015.

In the meantime around Sept. 2015, Adam, the son, was still hanging around with Conley, but had a run-in with her about the office where Adam said he could fire Conley if he wanted. William though gives Conley full charge of running the office. He pre-signs 50 checks, then another 25 checks. Conley was never added as a signer to the business account, but she had her hands in pretty much every aspect of these family member's lives.

:computer:
 
https://twitter.com/od_parker?lang=en

More of my take on today's courtroom tweets. Hope others will pipe in and share what they think. It seems like it's possible to raise reasonable doubt on who administered the toxic dose to Dr. Yoder, as MsArk posted.

William, Mary's husband, was still on the stand after the lunch break. Some of the questioning seemed to go nowhere.

For instance:

Going back to the pot growing subject seemed like a waste of time as that was in 1981 and it doesn't sound like they grew it again.

Attempts to make it sound like William had affairs and might've been with one or two of Mary's sisters back in the day many years ago, were mild accusations with no conclusive proof provided.

William is the author of two books and when working on a book would go off one weekend a month to write. As far as I can see, there was nothing conclusive to support he had affairs ever.

Questions about the keys to the chiropractic offices. Mary and William and Conley had one, and also Adam still had a key. I haven't heard the drug colchicine was actually found on the premises, and so, MOO, having keys is just conversation going nowhere. Did they find colchicine in Adam's car as Conley's frame-him letter mentioned?

So far, somewhat feeble attempts to make it sound like Adam may not have gotten along with his mother, or that he had psychological problems before her death. This also seemed to be denied by his father William.

What I do find interesting and worth further questioning, IMO, is that Adam had a very similar "GI bug" with the same symptoms three months earlier. William said that when Mary took sick it almost felt like deja vu. Hmm...did Conley try an earlier, but lighter, practice dose on Adam?
 
Curious Me said:
https://twitter.com/od_parker?lang=en

More of my take on today's courtroom tweets. Hope others will pipe in and share what they think. It seems like it's possible to raise reasonable doubt on who administered the toxic dose to Dr. Yoder, as MsArk posted.

William, Mary's husband, was still on the stand after the lunch break. Some of the questioning seemed to go nowhere.

For instance:

Going back to the pot growing subject seemed like a waste of time as that was in 1981 and it doesn't sound like they grew it again.

Attempts to make it sound like William had affairs and might've been with one or two of Mary's sisters back in the day many years ago, were mild accusations with no conclusive proof provided.

William is the author of two books and when working on a book would go off one weekend a month to write. As far as I can see, there was nothing conclusive to support he had affairs ever.

Questions about the keys to the chiropractic offices. Mary and William and Conley had one, and also Adam still had a key. I haven't heard the drug colchicine was actually found on the premises, and so, MOO, having keys is just conversation going nowhere. Did they find colchicine in Adam's car as Conley's frame-him letter mentioned?

So far, somewhat feeble attempts to make it sound like Adam may not have gotten along with his mother, or that he had psychological problems before her death. This also seemed to be denied by his father William.

What I do find interesting and worth further questioning, IMO, is that Adam had a very similar "GI bug" with the same symptoms three months earlier. William said that when Mary took sick it almost felt like deja vu. Hmm...did Conley try an earlier, but lighter, practice dose on Adam?
Click to expand...

BBM---
My thoughts exactly about Adam and his gastro problems.

William held up quite well today. He seemed honest in his responses. As you said, no bombshells with his testimony.

The closest defense got, IMO, was his testimony about how he spent time in the office, asking the prior receptionist to deny his presence in the clinic. Still, this was some time ago--- prior 2013?

I thought the 1987 pot subject was way far reaching. Apparently cholcicine can be used in growing marijuana but again, we are talking 30 years ago. Not too impressive, IMO.

He denied seeing Karen prior to Sept 2015. Asked if it might have been too soon after Mary's death, William replied that at 70, he had no sense of time.

IMO, defense made little/no movement today in trying to pin the murder accusation on William.

One last thing... the timing exposure to cholcicine and onset of symptoms. IIRC, it can be as little as 4 hours up to 8 hours. 4 hours typical in severe exposure. Mary's 4 pm patients could tell Mary wasn't "herself" so she was having symptoms. It is not unreasonable to think actual onset of symptoms began as early as 3 pm so this puts exposure around lunch. William said Mary had a protein shake for lunch bc she was so busy. All of Mary and William's supplements were tested. I wonder if the protein shake powder was tested?

I still think it is a long road for the prosecution. They have Conley ordering and signing for the cholcine but to kill over taking money for a couple of traffic tickets and an EZ pass? Makes no sense to me. If Conley did indeed poison Mary, I think the on/off relationship with Adam played into it. Just a hunch and MOO.
 
Curious Me said:
I'm over at reporter Micaela Parker's twitter as she covers what's going on in the courtroom today. It almost beats watching a trial with no waiting for the sidebars to be over. Thank You Ms. Parker for covering this trial so well.

:judge: https://twitter.com/od_parker?lang=en

William, the husband is on stand being questioned. There's lots of info in these tweets from the courtroom. Apparently, the son Adam worked at his parent's office 2012-2013. He and Conley were seeing each other on and off during that time. She took over in the office when Adam returned to school. Conley had a key to the office, and could go in on non-office days to work in private.



A lot of pertinent questions asked about breakfasts and lunches, and even about Mary's gardening due to colchicine being present in the crocus plant. However, no crocus in her garden. BTW, William never had gout, nor did Mary have gout. No one in the immediate family had gout.

:seeya: Be back later
Click to expand...

BBM & Font
Yeah. Micaela Parker is the best! I was griping about having to read tweets after the fact, but that's just because I'm an old geezer who needs things to be spoon-fed!

Her tweets are so chock full of information -- absolutely mesmerizing -- and without the "commercial sidebar breaks"! You are right.

But, as to Dr. William Yoder not having gout, despite testimony of a patient who stated that Dr. Mary Yoder told the patient that he had gout! Am I correct that this is where the claim originated? WTH was that witness?!! Have to go back and find out. Either witness was befuddled, or trying to be "helpful". [Or I'm befuddled?]

And the possibility of Dr. Mary Yoder having mistaken a crocus for garlic to suggest that she may have accidentally poisoned herself -- even if she had a whole flower bed of crocus, she was a "Master Gardener" so I'm sure she would not have made that mistake! [Can't remember who the source for that was either?! Losing it!]
 
Looks like the courtroom was packed today! The news video is worth watching. At the end of the news cast a local attorney gives insight into the defense tactics in a trial like this. He also explains direct evidence versus circumstantial evidence, and the subject of inference.

Utica WKTV news video (6:33)

Murder victim's widower spends hours on witness stand in Conley trial
Friday, April 28th 2017, 2:52 pm PDT
http://www.wktv.com/story/35280688/...spends-hours-on-witness-stand-in-conley-trial
 
I find this case fascinating and my curiosity is driving me to dig for more info.
Boy, if Conley did poison Dr. Yoder causing so much suffering and ultimately her death, but carried on normally with the son, the family, and the business then she is one scary young woman.

This news article is about the prosecutor's and defense attorney's opening statements in Conley's murder trial.

Kaitlyn Conley defense: Husband killed wife for money, romance with victim's sister
on April 25, 2017 at 3:22 PM, updated April 26, 2017 at 7:16 AM
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2017/04/kaitlyn_conley_murder_trial_prosecution.html

Whoa, the defense described the son Adam as "a wacked-out alcoholic drug-using weirdo".
Ah-Ha! Yes, the vial of colchicine was found in Adam's car but with Conley's DNA on it.

Lisi said Conley's DNA was found on the vial of colchicine found in Adam Yoder's car. An anonymous letter tipped off police where to find the vial, she said. Conley later admitted she was the author of that anonymous letter, Lisi said.
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MOO, I don't think defense will get much leverage saying Mary's husband killed her for money because he had just inherited a large sum from his father's death about $400,000 I think.

I'm very interested in hearing more about what kind of relationship Adam and Conley had on and off for all these years. Why would Kaitlyn want to kill his mother and then try to frame him? Also, I hope we learn the answer to this question asked today of Adam's father, William. He didn't know the answer. Seems like his father should know if Conley lend his son that much money.

Micaela Parker‏ @OD_Parker · 12h12 hours ago
True that Conley let Adam borrow $20G to go to school? Don't know.
https://twitter.com/od_parker?lang=en
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................................gee, my curiosity is exhausting.....................:offtobed:
 
Curious Me said:
https://twitter.com/od_parker?lang=en

More of my take on today's courtroom tweets. Hope others will pipe in and share what they think. It seems like it's possible to raise reasonable doubt on who administered the toxic dose to Dr. Yoder, as MsArk posted.

William, Mary's husband, was still on the stand after the lunch break. Some of the questioning seemed to go nowhere.

For instance:
[BBM & respectfully snipped for brevity]

Hey Curious! Thank you. Very good observations. Just offering up some comments of my own to add to yours:

Going back to the pot growing subject seemed like a waste of time as that was in 1981 and it doesn't sound like they grew it again.
Click to expand...

Pelli's grasping at straws, FGS! Does he NOT know that pot smoking/growing is legal now in some states? And does he expect us to believe that he himself has never smoked pot? Or fantasized about a tryst with an inflatable doll (in his case)? Or taken a peek at 🤬🤬🤬🤬 on the internet!
(My Oh My! I am shocked!!). ]Pelli, If that's all you've got, don't waste our time.]


Questions about the keys to the chiropractic offices. Mary and William and Conley had one, and also Adam still had a key. I haven't heard the drug colchicine was actually found on the premises, and so, MOO, having keys is just conversation going nowhere.
Click to expand...

His intent I think was to imply that anyone who had a key could have crept in through the back door, undetected, and tainted Dr. Mary's shake/food/beverage with the drug. You're right -- planting that seed of reasonable doubt by expanding the pool of possible suspects. [What other potential suspects are left: Did the Yoder's have a family pet? A dog who digs up crocus in neighborhood yards?]

Did they find colchicine in Adam's car as Conley's frame-him letter mentioned?
Click to expand...

Yes indeedy. And it was right where that anonymous letter said it would be! Surprise! Surprise!


What I do find interesting and worth further questioning, IMO, is that Adam had a very similar "GI bug" with the same symptoms three months earlier. William said that when Mary took sick it almost felt like deja vu. Hmm...did Conley try an earlier, but lighter, practice dose on Adam?
Click to expand...

You and me both, CuriousMe!
That jumped right out at me! Adam would have suffered his GI bug around April 20, 2015. That made me wonder exactly when Conley's colchicine order arrived. I was thinking that Conley got pi**ed off at him for rejecting her again, and gave him a dose of it for good measure. But, because he is younger and stronger (than his mother, Dr. Mary Yoder), it did not affect him as severely. With treatment at the ER he was able to fully recover.

Maybe her initial plan was to use the colchicine on Adam. But, after her attempt failed, she decided to try a different tack. She's a sociopath -- and that's being kind. Once she's convicted, she'll officially have morphed into a bona-fide psychopath.
(IMO)
Click to expand...
 
alexwood said:
Micaela Parker is an excellent reporter and her tweets from court during this trial have been unbelievable!
Click to expand...
snip

Yes; this is the kind of coverage that could lead to a job offer in the city.

Of course we all here upstate are loving it!
 
This article about the opening statements had some important info in it that helped me understand where both sides want to take this.

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2017/04/kaitlyn_conley_murder_trial_prosecution.html

Now, I understand why all the questions about who had keys to the chiropractic offices. It's about who had access to the typewriter.

The Gmail account used to order the colchicine was set up from an IP address at the Yoders' chiropractic office, and deleted months later from an IP attached to Conley's cell phone, Lisi said.

Lisi said the ribbon in the electric typewriter in the chiropractic office was analyzed, and forensics found it had been used to type the envelope containing the anonymous letter. It also was used to type the forms needed to order the colchicine, Lisi said. The typewriter was in Conley's work area.

The defense countered that William Yoder had a key to the office and could have been the one to use the typewriter.
Click to expand...
 
wfgodot said:
snip
Yes; this is the kind of coverage that could lead to a job offer in the city.
Of course we all here upstate are loving it!
Click to expand...

And maybe a Pulitzer Prize in the category "local reporting"! She certainly deserves it! :loveyou:
 
Curious Me said:
This article about the opening statements had some important info in it that helped me understand where both sides want to take this.
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2017/04/kaitlyn_conley_murder_trial_prosecution.html

Now, I understand why all the questions about who had keys to the chiropractic offices. It's about who had access to the typewriter.
Click to expand...

Thank you, Curious. That linked article and your insight are much appreciated!
(I am grateful also to my fellow Websleuths who have contributed constructively (rather than destructively :blushing:) to this thread.
Thank you all! :loveyou:
It would not surprise me, one iota, if victim's husband began his relationship with his SIL prior to Dr. Mary's death.
So what. Who cares? Dr. Mary was happy, husband was happy. They had booked a european cruise for the fall of 2015. Everything was good until Dr. Mary was poisoned.

As we know, the bottle of colchicine was found in the son's vehicle. LE found it based on a tip received via an anonymous letter. Conley later admitted that she was the author of the letter. Evidence from the office typewriter that Conley normally used showed that the mailing envelope had been typed on that machine.

Dr. William said that he did not know how to "line up" the office electronic typewriter. He could "punch the keys" in order to be able to type something on a piece of paper, but he would not be able to properly format an envelope address. And I believe him. Electronic typewriters are part computer and part electric typewriter. They are quirky hybrids and not as user-friendly as simple electric typewriters.

Everyone had keys to the office. Dr. Mary, Dr. William, their son, and Conley. Mary's mother had previously worked at that office as well. She probably had a key, too, floating around somewhere. There could be others, maybe relatives/friends of the doctors', who had access to an office key. Hypothetically, someone other than Conley could have typed the form that was used to order the colchicine.

But Conley's DNA was on that bottle.
If I were a juror, that would be the cherry on top of enough circumstantial evidence to find her guilty. (IMO)


Right now I'm avoiding my lawn which needs to be mowed.
Today, the temperature here in Northern Virginia will reach a high of 91[SUP]o[/SUP]F[SUB][SUP]{reaking}[/SUP][/SUB]. -- and it's not a "dry" heat!
 
Court's back in session today.
https://twitter.com/od_parker?lang=en

Think about it...someone almost got away with poisoning Mary Louise Yoder.

Three months after Dr. Yoder's death, her youngest sister, Sharon, Mills called the Sheriff's office. Thankfully, she called. The case is officially opened on Oct. 15 that same day she called, and becomes Mark VanNamee's investigation on Oct. 22, 2015.

Micaela Parker‏ @OD_Parker · 59m59 minutes ago

Prior to 10-15-15 convo w Sharon Mills no one else called office w concerns? No. Not William or Adam? No.
Click to expand...

Then, a "helpful anonymous letter" shows up by November 23, 2015 pointing the finger at Adam and going on to explain his reasoning and motive. Whoever sent the anonymous letter must think this will make it plain who did it. It even tells them where to find the poison.

Lo and Behold, the bottle of colchicine is found under the seat of his jeep, but it's got Conley's DNA all over it.

Micaela Parker‏ @OD_Parker · 2h2 hours ago
"The anonymous letter we received clearly pointed to one person being involved in the death of Mary Yoder." Adam Yoder.
Click to expand...

JMO, she must've thought she was super smart. How can it all be a coincidence that all the circumstantial evidence points to Conley?
 
alexwood said:
http://www.uticaod.com/news/20170427/patients-describe-homicide-victim-as-warm-caring

The above link will provide trial summary for Thursday, April 27, 2017.

...........snipped from Post #57

Every time I thought I had solved the mystery, another twist was revealed. I do think this woman is a sociopathic-🤬🤬🤬-psychopathic loon (another poster described her as: "Eddie Haskell-like", which is PERFECT!)
As I read about her case, I get the impression of a "Fatal Attraction" type [and maybe a budding "Black Widow in-training"]. Or, maybe even a Jodi Arias type -- but more subtle.

After Conley's employer's son had repeatedly rejected her as a love interest, wouldn't make a "commitment" to her, I believe she decided to get even with him -- in a passive-aggressive-psychopathic sort of way. All the while, maintaining cordial relations with him as "still friends," despite numerous breakups! She was super saccharine- sweet to his parents (the 2 docs), a tactic she developed early on to cement herself to their son in the hopes of marrying into the family, and their wealth. She believed them to be quite wealthy. I think Conley killed Dr. Yoder soley for the purpose of framing Dr. Yoder's son. She is probably a true-crime hound and thought she had masterminded the perfect setup.

..........
Click to expand...

snipped and bolded by me

I haven't gone through all the tweets yet. Very interesting so far, reading the tweets from the courtroom with Adam on the stand, I'm learning all kinds of details in the on/off history between Adam and Conley. Seems like she wouldn't let it be over.

Alexwood, I'm beginning to think you're quite brilliant and absolutely correct in pinpointing Conley's possible motive. Okay, let's speculate that she wanted to hurt Adam and frame him for murdering his mother, and her plan meant Mary had to die a horrible death. BUT her plan didn't seem to include having him caught and arrested because she didn't point the finger at him until it became necessary to protect herself. Sounds like Adam took his mother's death hard and she was right there watching the whole family suffer. Was that the pay back in her mind? My hesitation is that she didn't initially point at Adam to get him arrested until she was scared LE would look at her. What was her ultimate plan? Did it include some kind of monetary angle?


https://twitter.com/od_parker?lang=en

Micaela Parker‏
@OD_Parker
Adam Yoder on the stand
 
News channel video here. Follow the relationship of Adam and Conley and you'll see the RED FLAGS. This girl definitely reminds me of the manipulative Jodi Arias, only more educated and employable. Conley was trying to control Adam if you ask me.

I think it's got something to do with jealousy. He started dating someone else in the Spring 2015 and around that same time he became ill with the same symptoms that killed his mother about three months later. Then, he goes on a trip to see family July 15 to July 20, but doesn't tell Conley where he's going...hmm...that's when his mother get poisoned.

:cow: My own opinion with a cow that says MOO.

Murder victim's son/defendant's ex-boyfriend, testifies
Updated: Monday, May 1st 2017, 3:13 pm PDT
http://www.wktv.com/story/35297600/murder-victims-sondefendants-ex-boyfriend-testifies

"After losing his mother, a grief stricken, admittingly emotionally unstable Adam Yoder began spending time with and seeking comfort from Conley..."
 
I just came across this thread tonight. I've skimmed through it but will definitely go back and read some tweets and article links. Thanks for the updates everyone!
I'll be back when I have more time.
 
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