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

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diphi said:
It's very common here at WS that local people become our eyes and ears for the many cases. They go to crime scenes or wherever the action is and then report back what they see and hear. I, for one, value that tremendously; what they say only adds depth and knowledge when trying to solve a case.

no1, I truly appreciate your point of view. I'm sorry folks have been so invasive. I would be angry, too, I'm sure. But, so far I haven't heard of anyone from WS being that pushy.

Early in the case I spent some time on Cartier. I took pictures of the house, pathways, etc. They're posted somewhere in the earlier threads. Several people here were very grateful for the visuals.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your perspective. In the future, and unfortunately I think there will be a future (it's Wake Co. after all), I'll be much more sensitive to the surrounding neighbors.

imo
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Hi, diphi --:seeya:-- I remember those pictures you so generously spent your time taking & labeling for us. Seems like a lonnnnggg time ago now...

I had been down the path near JG's house with friends of ours, going to GG for dinner many times -- but we had always gone at night, and those paths were spooky to me and I didn't like them. During a 10-year or so period, we had friends who lived on Cartier, almost across the street from JG's house; we had friends who lived on Gordon -- at the very end of Cartier, so our path was different somewhat; and we had friends on Wayland, and we cut through to Cartier and went down almost beside JG's house.

Your pics were so very different looking in daytime -- not really scary at all until I thought about JW using those paths to possibly go & come from his house to JG's - a perfect way to not be seen at night. I do still wonder if he parked at GV and walked up that way, on his way to & from JG's home "that night" before going to his home...

So I will thank you again for having the patience to do what you did. I remember that in one pic, you stopped short of going farther since you were afraid you were close to private property, so you were careful. Yes, back then we had nothing to go on, and many of the out-of-town WS'ers were mystified by the mention of the "back pathways." We do try to be Sleuthers when we can, as long as we use good sense and obey our WS directives....
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And now it's almost upon us! A few more days and we're on our way...
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** Justice for Kathy **
 
Well, it looks like Michael Peterson is gonna get a new trial due to, the way I read it, the testimony of Duane Deaver, and so on. (See this link for the article in the N&O today.

Keep in mind that Deaver was a blood specialist -- not a DNA specialist, but it's the "bad apple" thing that give this a bit of a bad smell, IMO.

Our main concerns here, seems to me, is DNA, but....

Judge order says Michael Peterson’s rights violated by SBI agent

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/09/2054075/judge-order-says-michael-petersons.html

The Peterson trial was 'way back in 2003, Deaver is no longer with the SBI, and things within the SBI having to do with blood testing, etc., etc., have been cleaned-up quite a bit since then, but it does give one pause. Remember that Diane Savage is said to be a DNA specialist (my words) in the courtroom.

I said it when things were cranking up in this case, and I'll say it again -- I surely hope that the LEO's or the ADA's office sent the cig butt and subsequent DNA samples to a 2nd and independent lab for confirmation, etc., etc. Maybe that is done as a matter of course, I have no idea, but it makes me a bit nervous. Gessner already ruled the cigarette butt was legally obtained (no SW needed due to its being obtained on public property), but there's more DNA involved here as we've been told.

Obviously I'm a big worrier (the worry gene is dominant in my family!), but I hope they are ready for all challenges on the DNA findings from the JG house and from poor Kathy's body (if that is what it is). Whatever it is, it's got to stand up to legal standards... (if I were a nail-biter, I'd be biting them...)
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JMO :moo:
 
borndem said:
Well, it looks like Michael Peterson is gonna get a new trial due to, the way I read it, the testimony of Duane Deaver, and so on. (See this link for the article in the N&O today.

Keep in mind that Deaver was a blood specialist -- not a DNA specialist, but it's the "bad apple" thing that give this a bit of a bad smell, IMO.

Our main concerns here, seems to me, is DNA, but....

Judge order says Michael Peterson’s rights violated by SBI agent

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/09/2054075/judge-order-says-michael-petersons.html

The Peterson trial was 'way back in 2003, Deaver is no longer with the SBI, and things within the SBI having to do with blood testing, etc., etc., have been cleaned-up quite a bit since then, but it does give one pause. Remember that Diane Savage is said to be a DNA specialist (my words) in the courtroom.

I said it when things were cranking up in this case, and I'll say it again -- I surely hope that the LEO's or the ADA's office sent the cig butt and subsequent DNA samples to a 2nd and independent lab for confirmation, etc., etc. Maybe that is done as a matter of course, I have no idea, but it makes me a bit nervous. Gessner already ruled the cigarette butt was legally obtained (no SW needed due to its being obtained on public property), but there's more DNA involved here as we've been told.

Obviously I'm a big worrier (the worry gene is dominant in my family!), but I hope they are ready for all challenges on the DNA findings from the JG house and from poor Kathy's body (if that is what it is). Whatever it is, it's got to stand up to legal standards... (if I were a nail-biter, I'd be biting them...)
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JMO :moo:
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The SBI scandal has seriously put a hurt on their credibility. I said to my husband when it all started that it was just a matter of time before Peterson got a break from it all. Personally, I still say he is guilty.

I, too, hope another source was used for the evidence in this case. Knowing the lack of funds for the state and counties, though, they may have relied on the cheapest lab available (SBI). Of course, we can hope that with such a high profile case as this they took extra care to get their ducks in a row and sought outside assistance. We'll see.

imo
 
Will this tread be moved to the Trial forum once opening statements are made?
 
Prancy said:
Will this tread be moved to the Trial forum once opening statements are made?
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Probably. I've just looked at the main boards, and cases such as this are put into sections such as "Currently Awaiting Trial" and "Trials." And then we usually, as you know, divide it into "John Doe Trial, Day 1," "John Doe Trial, Day 2," etc., and then "Verdict Watch," and so on. Do Mods have to set up the main tabs such as this? I've certainly started a trial day, but never a "big" section, but I'm a bit awed by all of this still.
 
Every time I see a courtroom clip on the jury selection of JW, I can't help but wonder the following:

1) Is he still at Central Prison after being taken there not long after his arrest for KT's murder? It looks as if he still is, since it is indicated on his NC DPS Offender Public Information record. I have stuck a bit of it below... and that's what is shown by the pieces of his record I have pasted below. Please excuse the "hacked-up" look of it...

2) Every day JW is brought into the courtroom and returned to a cell somewhere. Are "they" (whoever would do it) transporting him to the WC Courthouse from Central Prison and then back again every day? This seems costly, a security risk for JW's escape and for his own safety. The schedule would be roughly the same every morning & every afternoon. I'm sure he his shackled up and down, etc., but still, I just wonder about it. That's why most prisoners stay in the the county courthouses until and during trial. I know that special circumstances could cause a prisoner to be taken to Central (suicide watch, medical problems, etc.), since the co. courthouses are not equipped for all types of problems, but still, it's just a little sideline mystery to me.

Anybody have any inside knowledge of this little factoid??


Here is a link to his entire DPS (used to be "DOC") record:

http://webapps6.doc.state.nc.us/opi...turl=pagelistoffendersearchresults&listpage=1






[SIZE=+1]JASON WILLIFORD[/SIZE] Offender Number: 0599876 Probation/Parole/Post Release Status: INACTIVE Gender: MALE Race: WHITE Ethnic Group: EUROPEAN/N.AM./AUSTR Age: 32






Most Recent Incarceration Summary
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Current incarceration record is unavailable at this time.
 
This article from this morning was just updated a few minutes ago. Three alternates have been seated....

http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/Trial_In_Kathy_Taft_Murder_To_Begin_148488345.html

ETA: Here's WRAL's recap of today's jury status. One more to go!

http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/Trial_In_Kathy_Taft_Murder_To_Begin_148488345.html

To wit:

Raleigh, N.C. — After more than five weeks of jury selection, only one more alternate juror is needed in the murder trial of Jason Williford, a Raleigh man accused of killing state school board member Kathy Taft in March 2010.


As of Monday, attorneys had seated 12 jurors and three alternates. Opening statements could begin as early as Wednesday morning, if the final alternate is selected Tuesday.


Taft, who was appointed to the State Board of Education in 1995 by Gov. Jim Hunt, was recovering from surgery when she was attacked on March 6, 2010. The 62-year-old died three days later.


Williford, 32, could face the death penalty if he's convicted of first-degree murder.
 
I don't have any inside info on the defendant's location, but I would guess that he would stay in Central prison throughout the trial. That's just my guess. It's only about a mile from the courthouse.

They have more of a facility to treat him there than the jail. And that might be important if he has the mental health issues the defense claims he has. If I were the state, I would want to make sure that he is getting all mental and physical health care that he needs during this trial, so he can get through it without any delays or problems. I wouldn't want to give them any opportunity to claim he can't continue because of lack of care.
 
OT/ but another N.C. cold case crime. I posted a new topic in the 'cold cases' section of WS's on the Davina Buff-Jones case that has been reopened. Perhaps some of the locals will recall this one. In 1999 a female LE officer was shot to death on Bald Head Island. It was ruled a suicide at the time, although I never believed that. Her last radio calls to dispatch reported 3 persons on the beach near Old Baldie. Then she is heard over her radio to say 'put down the gun'. 'Guns aren't allowed on Bald Head Island.' She was found shortly after with a gunshot wound to the back of her head, execution style. The DA and sheriff at the time had it ruled a suicide, but a new DA has since taken office and through the efforts of Davina's family has reopened the case. The week before she was shot, she'd made mention to her dad of 'the dark side of Bald Head'. And IIRC, something about drugs.... I'm glad to see this case reopened because I never believed it was an 'elaborate suicide' as was reported at the time.
 
Prancy said:
I don't have any inside info on the defendant's location, but I would guess that he would stay in Central prison throughout the trial. That's just my guess. It's only about a mile from the courthouse.

They have more of a facility to treat him there than the jail. And that might be important if he has the mental health issues the defense claims he has. If I were the state, I would want to make sure that he is getting all mental and physical health care that he needs during this trial, so he can get through it without any delays or problems. I wouldn't want to give them any opportunity to claim he can't continue because of lack of care.
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Thanks, Prancy, for the well-thought comments. You're so right -- the PT doesn't need anything to not be as right as possible for this biggie. It appears that the DT is gonna be telling what they hope is a sad (or whatever the correct adjective turns out to be) tale for JW as part of his defense, and Saacks & Co don't need to add to it.

And yes, it's not that far from CP to the courthouse, and I'm sure they're taking people at least to Central from WCCH every day anyway from the results of pleas & other trials! The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh (as they say).

Seating this jury has really been a trip (and it's not quite done yet) -- I wonder if it will be a record-breaker in terms of time it takes to find & agree on 16 people...

Stick around -- the fireworks should start any day now!
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Channel 11 4:00 pm is still reporting 'one more alternate juror needed' before the trial can start.
 
gracielee said:
OT/ but another N.C. cold case crime. I posted a new topic in the 'cold cases' section of WS's on the Davina Buff-Jones case that has been reopened. Perhaps some of the locals will recall this one. In 1999 a female LE officer was shot to death on Bald Head Island. It was ruled a suicide at the time, although I never believed that. Her last radio calls to dispatch reported 3 persons on the beach near Old Baldie. Then she is heard over her radio to say 'put down the gun'. 'Guns aren't allowed on Bald Head Island.' She was found shortly after with a gunshot wound to the back of her head, execution style. The DA and sheriff at the time had it ruled a suicide, but a new DA has since taken office and through the efforts of Davina's family has reopened the case. The week before she was shot, she'd made mention to her dad of 'the dark side of Bald Head'. And IIRC, something about drugs.... I'm glad to see this case reopened because I never believed it was an 'elaborate suicide' as was reported at the time.
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First of all, Hi :seeya:to you, glee! :loveyou: I was just about to post a Hello to you anyway... :great:

Thanks for opening the thread on Dee. I remember reading about the event -- another odd one.... How could ANYBODY see the bullet injury that she suffered and think about anything close to suicide? And the why... Arrrgggghhhh! But I did not know it is being "revived."

Here ends the O/T.

Are you gonna follow the Taft trial and the DBJ cold case, too? Just go ahead and put your sleeping bag on the couch, a case of chocolate and a cooler nearby, and settle on in... You can do your gardening during the long lunch breaks!! Clean the house???? Short answer, "No," long answer "He!!, no." :what:
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Hello to all my old friends here. Looking forward to following this trial with all of you in hopes for justice for Kathy Taft!
 
borndem said:
First of all, Hi :seeya:to you, glee! :loveyou: I was just about to post a Hello to you anyway... :great:

Thanks for opening the thread on Dee. I remember reading about the event -- another odd one.... How could ANYBODY see the bullet injury that she suffered and think about anything close to suicide? And the why... Arrrgggghhhh! But I did not know it is being "revived."

Here ends the O/T.

Are you gonna follow the Taft trial and the DBJ cold case, too? Just go ahead and put your sleeping bag on the couch, a case of chocolate and a cooler nearby, and settle on in... You can do your gardening during the long lunch breaks!! Clean the house???? Short answer, "No," long answer "He!!, no." :what:
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I just got a Facebook update that the Taft trial will begin tomorrow. Yes, I plan on trying to follow this one, probably won't be able to follow as closely as the young trial. So much going on right now in 'real life'. :banghead:

I don't know if anything will come of the Bald Head Island case or not, but I certainly hope so. Her poor family, all these years.

Too much to do all the time. Why is life so busy. :rocker: Too much crime, so little time. :please:
 
According to WTVD, they are going with 3 alternates and O/S will begin tomorrow.

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=8662518

Here 'tis:

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Opening statements are scheduled for Wednesday in the case of a man accused in the brutal murder of N.C. State Board of Education member Kathy Taft.

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Kathy Taft case
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The trial will begin at 11 a.m. with 12 jurors on the main panel and only three alternates.
Jason Williford has pleaded not guilty in the 62 year old's March 2010 rape and killing at a home in Raleigh. He could face the death penalty if convicted.
Police have said Williford attacked Taft inside a home on Cartier Lane in the late night hours of March 5 or the early morning hours of March 6. She died at WakeMed a few days later.
The former member of the State Board of Education and her sister were housesitting at the Raleigh home while Taft recovered from a surgery.
Her sister found her bloodied body and lab results revealed the state school board member had been sexually assaulted and had a deep cut on the back of her head.
Related Content

Story: Williford's ex-girlfriend could be reluctant witness
Story: Jury selection starts in Kathy Taft murder trial
Story: Suspect pleads not guilty in Kathy Taft's death
Story: Kathy Taft murder suspect in court

Police said Williford, a Raleigh musician, lived in an apartment around the corner from the home where Taft was staying when she was attacked.
Taft served on the State School Board for 15 years - the longest tenure of any current member. She also ran unsuccessfully for a state Senate seat in 2008. Prior to that, she served on the Pitt County Board of Education.
 
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