I have been feeling down, or something. I have the facts of the murder trial floating through my head, along with the PMS hormones. Not a good combination. I've been quiet and keeping to myself, as well as having a diminished appetite (no, that's a good thing, really). I guess shell-shocked is a good way to describe it. I felt a little better Saturday night after talking to my parents, and then going to Blockbuster by myself to rent 3 movies for $8.99 - Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, and Shallow Hal. I blasted Tori on the way there and back, and sang along loudly. I guess I need a diversion. I'm thinking of taking Friday off just to have a day to myself. I'm off next Monday for Labor Day, but so is Jeff. I love him, but I don't need him up my ass at all times.

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So now, on with the story. I'm not sure where to go with this story. I think I covered the chronology of the process. I guess now I'll just go over the details worth mentioning.

The autopsy photos should be in the law dictionary next to "malice murder." The girl's skull was demolished. Blunt force trauma. We saw the crime scene photos, autopsy photos (which included photos after the medical examiner shaved her thick red hair to better see the actual injuries), and numerous diagrams of the skull fractures. Her head was nearly crushed and split in two. The blows to the top and back of her head were enough to nearly split the skull at the base, meaning the fractures extended around to the other side. She had "defense wounds," including multiple broken bones in both hands and basically a chunk taken out of one elbow. Blood spatter showed that she was down on the ground and probably unconcious or almost dead before most of the blows occurred. If that's not malice, I don't know what is.

Apparently, an altercation occurred between the victim and defendant the day before the murder. He had lost his job and had been working as a maintenance man at the motel to earn his keep, so to speak. At that time, a phone deposit of $5 a day or $20 a week was required even for longtime residents. After his phone was turned off due to lack of a deposit, he called and cussed her out. She was said to have gotten scared and turned his phone back on.

The next night, she came in for her 11pm to 7am shift as usual. After smoking a cigarette and talking with her mom (who worked the previous shift) before she left, and checking in 2 truckers, she returned a call to her best friend. They talked for a while, then were interrupted by the defendant coming to get a plunger from the closet in the office. She set the phone down and opened the locked door to the lobby to give him what he asked for. She re-locked the door and picked up the phone again. They talked about the defendant, discussing his unusual first name and how they knew a guy with the same name. The defendant came back a while later wanting a mop and bucket. She again unlocked the door, gave him what he wanted, locked the door and resumed her phone call. This time she mentioned that the guy was "creeping her out" and kept asking for things where she had to turn her back to him. In less than 5 minutes, he was back. She actually said to her friend, "He's back again." She set the phone down and unlocked the door. The next thing her friend hears is the victim saying his name in a startled manner, then a struggle, then 3-4 hits that sounded like "a baseball bat hitting a table."

She was hysterical. She got on her cell phone (probably because the other phone would not hang up) and called 911. Because she was in a different county, there was some initial confusion and ultimately a transfer. She mentioned the visits from the maintenance man. A call was sent out, and 2 cops were having dinner right across the street from the motel. They were there within a minute of receiving the call. Of course they were too late.

The arriving officers had on their car video and mics on their person. The officer who secured the crime scene can be heard saying, "she's 48, I can see her brain matter." "48" is code for deceased person. After talking to the victim's best friend (who had driven there after ending her call with 911) and mother, they had the name of the suspect and his room number. They had him in custody within 20 minutes of arriving on scene. The defense's argument was that they were going by the words of a hysterical 17 year old girl, and that everyone assumed his client was guilty. I'd say enough probable cause was there to arrest him.

The defense further argued that the arriving officers and lead investigator "bumbled" the crime scene and suspect's room. Late in the trial it was even suggested that the victim's blood was planted on the suspect's pants. The jury agreed that mistakes were indeed made, but not to the point of contaminating anything. If blood got on those pants, it came from something in the suspect's room. The murder weapon was never determined, since blood can be washed from a non-porous surface. They did confiscate several tools, including hammers, pry bars and crow bars.