Opening Statements

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The stream at WRAL is pretty good; sometimes will buffer, but overall is working well.

The prosecution started with the day Nancy did not show up to her friend Jessica's house, and is now giving overview of Nancy's discovery of Brad's affair, Nancy's preparation for the divorce, the couple's finances, etc.
 
Prosecution says that all Nancy's emails were being intercepted by Brad from April 2008 until the time of her death....
 
Defense opening statements start in the morning. Nothing earth shattering presented during the opening, except maybe for the intercepting emails. Looks like a circumstantial case.
 
Interesting how the 2 phone calls from the landline were left hanging in the air, 2 phone calls, and the reference to VOIP. If the DA can prove Brad implemented those 2 phone calls, well...
 
Disappointed in the state's opening.
I feel certain the defense will set the stage with a much more convincing and compelling argument.
 
Most criminal cases are circumstantial cases. That's because anything outside of a confession, or eyewitness, or a videotape of the murder is, by definition, circumstantial.

That said, there were some important facts mentioned during opening statements:

1. Nancy's running shoes were found in the garage on a shelf, right where she left them. And no other shoes of hers were gone, so she didn't use a different pair of running shoes. The obvious conclusion is that she was not wearing shoes on her feet when she left (or was taken out of the house). And when her body was found, there were no shoes on her feet or anywhere in the vicinity.

2. Brad washed Nancy's dress from the party the night before. He claimed there was a stain on it. No other person saw such a stain.

3. Brad was doing many loads of laundry, including Nancy's laundry the morning she went missing. This is counter to the norm.
 
Most criminal cases are circumstantial cases. That's because anything outside of a confession, or eyewitness, or a videotape of the murder is, by definition, circumstantial.

That said, there were some important facts mentioned during opening statements:

1. Nancy's running shoes were found in the garage on a shelf, right where she left them. And no other shoes of hers were gone, so she didn't use a different pair of running shoes. The obvious conclusion is that she was not wearing shoes on her feet when she left (or was taken out of the house). And when her body was found, there were no shoes on her feet or anywhere in the vicinity.

2. Brad washed Nancy's dress from the party the night before. He claimed there was a stain on it. No other person saw such a stain.

3. Brad was doing many loads of laundry, including Nancy's laundry the morning she went missing. This is counter to the norm.

Was this the first time we heard about the "stained" dress?
 
Interesting how the 2 phone calls from the landline were left hanging in the air, 2 phone calls, and the reference to VOIP. If the DA can prove Brad implemented those 2 phone calls, well...

Yes, I want to know what time those calls were. If he caused the last phone call remotely, he likely did test calls much earlier that morning, before the time he said he left home for the grocery run.
 
Most criminal cases are circumstantial cases. That's because anything outside of a confession, or eyewitness, or a videotape of the murder is, by definition, circumstantial.

That said, there were some important facts mentioned during opening statements:

1. Nancy's running shoes were found in the garage on a shelf, right where she left them. And no other shoes of hers were gone, so she didn't use a different pair of running shoes. The obvious conclusion is that she was not wearing shoes on her feet when she left (or was taken out of the house). And when her body was found, there were no shoes on her feet or anywhere in the vicinity.

2. Brad washed Nancy's dress from the party the night before. He claimed there was a stain on it. No other person saw such a stain.

3. Brad was doing many loads of laundry, including Nancy's laundry the morning she went missing. This is counter to the norm.

For #1, isn't it possible she had more than 1 pair of running shoes? I certainly do.
#2 - yes odd.
#3 - I don't necessarily believe (although I don't not believe it) that it is counter to the norm. As we discussed way back when...this will be based on Nancy's words to friends. I'm sure my wife would say I don't do nearly as much as I actually do around the house. And she isn't mad at me or divorcing me.

But I think to convict of murder, you are going to have to have more than he read her emails and did her laundry to convict. Hopefully they have more than what they presented during opening statements.
 
Was this the first time we heard about the "stained" dress?

I'm pretty sure we heard something about it and I'm trying to remember exactly where. It might have been during the depo where Brad was saying that Nancy complained at the party about a stain on her dress. This is not the first it's been mentioned, but it's been so long that I'm having trouble remembering the context. This is the first time, however, that we are hearing that NO ONE else at the party noticed any stain on her dress.
 
Disappointed in the state's opening.
I feel certain the defense will set the stage with a much more convincing and compelling argument.

Defense will paint him as a devoted husband who had a single indiscretion because his wife quit having sex with him.
 
I'm quite surprised they didn't mention her necklace during opening statements. This is huge, IMHO. Nancy was known to never take off that necklace...ever. And it was found in a desk (possibly Brad's desk) inside the residence. It was something she would have worn at the party the night before and probably seen/noticed at least by a few women there (we women notice such things). That they didn't even bring it up has me wondering why.

They sure didn't cover much in their opening...it was much more brief than I expected it would be. All of 30 or 40 min.
 
I'm pretty sure we heard something about it and I'm trying to remember exactly where. It might have been during the depo where Brad was saying that Nancy complained at the party about a stain on her dress. This is not the first it's been mentioned, but it's been so long that I'm having trouble remembering the context. This is the first time, however, that we are hearing that NO ONE else at the party noticed any stain on her dress.

What was most interesting to me about that, in addition to what you point out is the speaker indicated the dress could not be found when requested for use by the canine but Brad produced it the next day. Where was it since it wasn't in the house ?
 
For #1, isn't it possible she had more than 1 pair of running shoes? I certainly do.

Of course it's possible. But notice the wording they used and it was quite specific. NO shoes of hers, including running shoes, were missing from that shelf. That shelf in the garage is where she kept her (running) shoes. That should tell you something right there. And her running partner--the one she was training with at the time of her disappearance, said those blue Sauconys were the ones she was using. Those running shes were the same ones she had with her just a few days before her death, when she was on vacation with her family.
 
I'm quite surprised they didn't mention her necklace during opening statements. This is huge, IMHO. Nancy was known to never take off that necklace...ever. And it was found in a desk (possibly Brad's desk) inside the residence. It was something she would have worn at the party the night before and probably seen/noticed at least by a few women there (we women notice such things). That they didn't even bring it up has me wondering why.

They sure didn't cover much in their opening...it was much more brief than I expected it would be. All of 30 or 40 min.

Because I doubt very seriously that she never took it off. Of course, it would be easy to disprove. All they would have to do is find 1 single picture where she isn't wearing it. Honestly, what woman wears jewelry while jogging, swimming, or other activities like that?
 
the speaker indicated the dress could not be found when requested for use by the canine but Brad produced it the next day. Where was it since it wasn't in the house

Good catch there, RC. Unless it was sitting in the washing machine or dryer at the time, but he didn't tell anyone that? Remember he was doing lots of laundry. It couldn't have been too far as he was able to produce it. BTW, unless that dress is a simple cotton one, it seems odd that it would be machine washed.
 
Honestly, what woman wears jewelry while jogging, swimming, or other activities like that?

I do, and many women do.

I have a gold bracelet I got for my Bday and I have not taken it off from the moment it was put around my wrist, in Dec. That includes showering, exercising, sleeping, etc.
 
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