CONVICTION OVERTURNED CA - Sgt. Todd Sommer, 23, fatally poisoned, San Diego, 18 Feb 2002

[lisafremont]

I for one, totally convinced of this defendant's guilt, am going to say a prayer tonight for Laura Gunn. May tomorrow find her clear-minded and able to summon all her passion and powers to weave all the strands of evidence together (it's all there) in a cohesive story that spells it all out to the jury.

My wish and MO

 

[JDB]

I think Lisa in an above post touched on the Laci Petertson case...
IMO Scott should not have been convicted.. Is he guilty ?? As sin .. hell yes.

But they had no evidence.
Cases like that corrupt our criminal justice system.

Legally .. they have nothing on this women. It should be pointed out that LE can easily coerce and twist words.

Hey Amr this case is different from Scott's big time.In Peterson's they did have evidence Such as the purchase of the boat and all the tapes. In this one the DA has nothing to tie her to this one at all no smoking GUN.
Today a witness said that her Hubby said she could get the implants if she lost 10 lbs.So she did afterwards.
IMO she is a little wierd but did not commit what she has been charged with.

 

[MagicRose99]

Just my opinion. I don't think she did it. Therefore, there isn't any evidence to support a conviction.

LOL! I had to laugh at your statement here Jeana! LOL!

Reading the statement the first time, it sounded to me like you're saying you don't think she did it, therefore you declare that the evidence doesn't support a conviction...

I had to read it several times to figure it out what you were saying... what can I say... it's early morning here! LOL!

 

[Amraann]

I totally disagree!!
Criminals should not be rewarded for disposing of evidence.

CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE
IS
EVIDENCE!!!!!!!!!

It is a different type of evidence based upon the emotions or percieved notions of those evaluating it.
If 80% of the people would behave a certain way after the death of a loved one then those 20% that act wacky would be percieved to be guilty.

I think that leaves room for reasonable doubt.
It is very unlikely that a killer will leave no trace of their disposing of evidence.

I am very distrustful of any case that goes back much much later and decides someone is a suspect based on their behavoir after the death.
It seems like a stretch to me.
Certainly there would be some record of her buying arsenic.
Some motive or proof that she was cheating on him prior.

I don't think that looking at their bank account or his income has anything to do with her getting new tata's. I know plenty of women who probably could not afford them or should have used the money on other things but went and got them financed. Its not exactly financially responsible but then again, not everybody is.

 

[Peter Hamilton]

Four requests for money within 5 hours of her death!----Slept with Four men within 2 months of his death--sounds more like a *advertiser censored* than a grieving widow--her computer was never searced for any Arsenic order--computer eventually thrown away

 

[Amraann]

If she bought it online then credit card records through her bank would show that.


Also sleeping around after his death doesn;t indicate she did so before he died.

 

[Peter Hamilton]

Prosecutor made another good point--Todd was already dead BEFORE she called 911--Sounds like she just watched him die--murderess! lol--Anyway, she's lucky I'm not on the jury--

 

[Peter Hamilton]

$250,000.00--That's a lot of money to a 28 year old--especially one with 4kids, and it sure gets one out of the Subway shop makin subs

 

[JDB]

Prosecutor made another good point--Todd was already dead BEFORE she called 911--Sounds like she just watched him die--murderess! lol--Anyway, she's lucky I'm not on the jury--

So what he was dead before calling 911. many people die of Heart problems and the person calls after the facts. maybe she saw he was not breathing anymore and then called.Still no proof of her buying the aresenic anywhere. And really after reading how one of her witnesses said the organs might have been contaminated

 

[nanandjim]

$250,000.00--That's a lot of money to a 28 year old--especially one with 4kids, and it sure gets one out of the Subway shop makin subs

Plus, she gets $3,200 a month in benefits. Cha...ching...

 

[lightwaveryder]

personally, i dont buy the explanation that arsenic poisoning would leave much more residue and signs than it did. There was a news article just recently that said they investigated an older murder and concluded that it was arsenic poisoning, even though at the time the death was a mystery.


i think she did it. when something bad happens to someone you love with all yoru heart, you do not go get fake *advertiser censored* and get into the sack with someone else.

either way, she's guilty of something i would feel comfortable giving her the death penalty for.


~lightwaveryder~

 

[fundiva]

Hey Amr this case is different from Scott's big time.In Peterson's they did have evidence Such as the purchase of the boat and all the tapes. In this one the DA has nothing to tie her to this one at all no smoking GUN.
Today a witness said that her Hubby said she could get the implants if she lost 10 lbs.So she did afterwards.
IMO she is a little wierd but did not commit what she has been charged with.

When the defendant testified she read a Valentine's card he had just given her that said he was sorry she couldn't get the *advertiser censored* this year, but maybe next year if things went well. Sounds like the decision had already been made, but she still went for an appointment to the boob specialist the day he got sick, and then got them done within 2 months. When my husband died the last thing that was on my mind was my *advertiser censored*, and I didn't even have kids. If you have kids you usually worry about how they're doing and what you can do for them, not how big your *advertiser censored* are? At least that has been my experience when friends with kids have went through the same experience. Two months after his death the financial affairs, probate, etc. would not even be complete.

 

[lisafremont]

Hey Amr this case is different from Scott's big time.In Peterson's they did have evidence Such as the purchase of the boat and all the tapes. In this one the DA has nothing to tie her to this one at all no smoking GUN.
Today a witness said that her Hubby said she could get the implants if she lost 10 lbs.So she did afterwards.
IMO she is a little wierd but did not commit what she has been charged with.

Hey, JDB!!!
I think we watched two different trials because I totally disagree with you. There was a web of circumstantial evidence and the prosecutor did a masterful job today weaving it all together and presenting a very coherent story using the testimony and bringing it all home for the jury.

I think an acquittal is remote to impossible. It's either hung jury or conviction, IMO and the latter looks very good!!!
JMO

 

[lisafremont]

personally, i dont buy the explanation that arsenic poisoning would leave much more residue and signs than it did. There was a news article just recently that said they investigated an older murder and concluded that it was arsenic poisoning, even though at the time the death was a mystery.


i think she did it. when something bad happens to someone you love with all yoru heart, you do not go get fake *advertiser censored* and get into the sack with someone else.

either way, she's guilty of something i would feel comfortable giving her the death penalty for.


~lightwaveryder~

She is not facing DP but LWOPP.

 

[lisafremont]

So what he was dead before calling 911. many people die of Heart problems and the person calls after the facts. maybe she saw he was not breathing anymore and then called.Still no proof of her buying the aresenic anywhere. And really after reading how one of her witnesses said the organs might have been contaminated

JDB, the significance of his being dead already when she called 911 is that she says she called as soon as he collapsed and then she FAKED CPR, IMO. She lied when she said he was breathing. If she really wanted to save him would she delay calling help??
So what no proof of her buying arsenic? It's available in any garden supply. She could have bought it with cash. She had days bet. the dose and his death to dispose of the evidence, then 15 mos. thereafter to get rid of anything else.

Here's the deal, Jon.
Acute arsenic poisoning manifests symptoms of severe gastro intestinal distress from 30 mins to 4 hours or so.
On the night Todd became violently ill and woke at 3am, Cindy came home around 10:30 pm. Unless you are accusing one of the little kids...who?
She lied about significant things. The defense was how he was her "knight" and she acted like she was celebrating her freedom.
Very reminiscent of Geragos...He's a cad, not a killer. She's a *advertiser censored*, not a killer.
SHE DID IT!!
MO

 

[lisafremont]

It is a different type of evidence based upon the emotions or percieved notions of those evaluating it.
If 80% of the people would behave a certain way after the death of a loved one then those 20% that act wacky would be percieved to be guilty.

I think that leaves room for reasonable doubt.
It is very unlikely that a killer will leave no trace of their disposing of evidence.

I am very distrustful of any case that goes back much much later and decides someone is a suspect based on their behavoir after the death.
It seems like a stretch to me.
Certainly there would be some record of her buying arsenic.
Some motive or proof that she was cheating on him prior.

I don't think that looking at their bank account or his income has anything to do with her getting new tata's. I know plenty of women who probably could not afford them or should have used the money on other things but went and got them financed. Its not exactly financially responsible but then again, not everybody is.

She had many days between dosing him with poison and disposing of the evidence. And thereafter she had many months.

She dumped her computer and lied to investigators about it. Said it was the same one she had when Todd was alive. Too bad it wasn't even manufactured for 3 mos. after he died.

Arsenic isn't a rare substance. It's quite common and could have been purchased with cash in a garden supply or Home Depot. 15 months later, what kind of record could there be?

If a killer, like Justin Barber, throws away the gun that kills his wife, but all the other facts say he did it, should we let him walk because the gun is gone??

I'm sorry, but IMO, you really don't understand the nature of circumstantial evidence.

 

[lisafremont]

I for one, totally convinced of this defendant's guilt, am going to say a prayer tonight for Laura Gunn. May tomorrow find her clear-minded and able to summon all her passion and powers to weave all the strands of evidence together (it's all there) in a cohesive story that spells it all out to the jury.

My wish and MO

:woohoo: She was masterful!!!
I am very hopeful for justice for Todd!!

 

[Garnan]

Prosecutor made another good point--Todd was already dead BEFORE she called 911--Sounds like she just watched him die--murderess! lol--Anyway, she's lucky I'm not on the jury--

The defense attorney made some good points too. Sounded to me like he was alive when the paramedics arrived.

Don't know if she killed him or not. State didn't prove it to me.

 

[Amraann]

She had many days between dosing him with poison and disposing of the evidence. And thereafter she had many months.

She dumped her computer and lied to investigators about it. Said it was the same one she had when Todd was alive. Too bad it wasn't even manufactured for 3 mos. after he died.

Arsenic isn't a rare substance. It's quite common and could have been purchased with cash in a garden supply or Home Depot. 15 months later, what kind of record could there be?

If a killer, like Justin Barber, throws away the gun that kills his wife, but all the other facts say he did it, should we let him walk because the gun is gone??

I'm sorry, but IMO, you really don't understand the nature of circumstantial evidence.

Actually I do.... and what I am saying is they need to prove it...
Not Guess it because she went wild after he died.

ETA: they need to prove lies that occured before he died.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Prosecutor made another good point--Todd was already dead BEFORE she called 911--Sounds like she just watched him die--murderess! lol--Anyway, she's lucky I'm not on the jury--

No he wasn't. The EMT TESTIFIED that Todd was still warm and had a minute pulse when he arrived. That's pretty far from dead in my book. No rigor had set in. She was still performing CPR on him when they arrived.