GUILTY FL - Voncile Smith, 77, & two sons brutally murdered, Pensacola, 28 July 2015 *Arrest*

[Jewels53]

Donald Hartung Trial Day 2 Lawrence Masita Crime Scene Unit, Rachel Smith Latent Print Examine

 

[MalamuteMomma_PNW]

Cathy Ruston@cathyrusson

#HartungTrial - Crime scene technician is on the stand. She began her testimony late yesterday. Defense is now questioning her. https://lawandcrime.com/live-trials/live-trials-current/donald-hartung/watch-live-donald-hartung-on-trial-for-allegedly-murdering-his-mom-and-his-2-half-brothers/

Not much tweeting going on for this trial and I am disappointed.

Agreed, it seems like there is very light coverage. So sad. I had to take a break when the defense was questioning the former crime scene tech because she was ruthless. That attorney is a shark and good at her job (painfully so). Hopefully going to get caught up today.

 

[Weki]

Hey ya'll. Just got into this trial. I'm really curious about this family's dynamic. What the relationship was like between Hartung and his mom, especially. She disowned him from the will but he was still going over there and cooking for them every week!! He also has a distant relationship with his own son who lives in VA. The one step brother never married and never had kids and lived at home with mom/brother well into his 40s and they never socialized with anyone and kept to themselves. And mom was a hoarder. There's a lot to be unpacked in this case but it seems like it hasn't drawn much coverage.

ETA: By the way, this is the prosecutor from the Ashley McArthur trial.

 

[Jewels53]

Hey ya'll. Just got into this trial. I'm really curious about this family's dynamic. What the relationship was like between Hartung and his mom, especially. She disowned him from the will but he was still going over there and cooking for them every week!! He also has a distant relationship with his own son who lives in VA. The one step brother never married and never had kids and lived at home with mom/brother well into his 40s and they never socialized with anyone and kept to themselves. And mom was a hoarder. There's a lot to be unpacked in this case but it seems like it hasn't drawn much coverage.

ETA: By the way, this is the prosecutor from the Ashley McArthur trial.

From reading the thread I think he thought he was going to inherit the money after his mother passed away. He was the step-brother to the other 2 who he is supposed to have killed plus his mother. I didn't read too much other back story other than possible Wiccan or pagan type of belief. That all was questionable though. I think he was just jealous and worried about the money. I am guessing that is why he killed all of them. imo moo and jmo

 

[Jewels53]

Donald Hartung Trial Day 2 - Tammy Dunkin - DHS & Kevin Pallamino - FPS Employee

 

[MalamuteMomma_PNW]

Hey ya'll. Just got into this trial. I'm really curious about this family's dynamic. What the relationship was like between Hartung and his mom, especially. She disowned him from the will but he was still going over there and cooking for them every week!! He also has a distant relationship with his own son who lives in VA. The one step brother never married and never had kids and lived at home with mom/brother well into his 40s and they never socialized with anyone and kept to themselves. And mom was a hoarder. There's a lot to be unpacked in this case but it seems like it hasn't drawn much coverage.

ETA: By the way, this is the prosecutor from the Ashley McArthur trial.

Yes that’s where I’ve seen her! Thank you, it was driving me crazy.

 

[Jewels53]

Donald Hartung Trial Day 2 - George Jacobi - DHS-Brandon Garrison - Walmaret Employee & Diva Holland

 

[Jewels53]

The prosecution on Wednesday called several witnesses to the stand on Day Two of Donald Hartung's murder trial in Escambia County -- including a close friend of victim John Smith, who said Smith and Hartung "didn't seem to be getting along."

Hartung is accused of killing his mother, Voncile Smith, and two half-brothers, John and Richard Smith, in 2015. Prosecutors say he did so to obtain full inheritance of the family's money.
....
He walked the jurors through his findings, which include dressers and tables holding candles, Wiccan books, figurines and an Ouji board. This initially led law enforcement to believe the murders were motivated by "witchcraft."

Now, the prosecution says it was motivated by his hope for financial gain.

Misita also told jurors he found ammunition and shotgun shells at the home. However, he never found a firearm.

Witness: Escambia County man accused of killing family wasn't getting along with brother

bbm

 

[Jewels53]

[URL='https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetwork']Law & Crime Network[URL='https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetwork']@LawCrimeNetwork[/URL][/URL]
#HartungTrial - Donald Hartung Jr, defendant's son, told prosecutors that the defendant wrote him a letter. He didn't bring it to court today, but he told the contents to the prosecutor. It was not said in open court what the letter said.
Cathy Russon@cathyrusson

#HartungTrial - We will be watching Hartung's police interview this morning. The first video is about 1.5 hours. This interview was conducted on the day the bodies were found.

Cathy Russon@cathyrusson

WATCH LIVE: Day 3 in the Donald #HartungTrial. Hartung is charged with the murders of his mother & two half-brothers. Police originally said these were "ritualistic killings" but have since backed off of that theory and say the motive was financial gain https://lawandcrime.com/live-trials/live-trials-current/donald-hartung/watch-live-donald-hartung-on-trial-for-allegedly-murdering-his-mom-and-his-2-half-brothers/

 

[Jewels53]

[URL='https://twitter.com/cathyrusson']Cathy Russon[URL='https://twitter.com/cathyrusson']@cathyrusson[/URL][/URL]
#HartungTrial - Donald Hartung was brought in for a police interview on July 31, 2015, the day the bodies were found. He says he was at that house on July 28, cooked dinner, as he normally did on Tuesdays, and left between 5;30-6pm. He said he left before Richard Smith got home

Law & Crime Network@LawCrimeNetwork

#HartungTrial - Donald Hartung, "I would not kill my mother and my brothers."

10:09 AM · Jan 23, 2020

Cathy Russon@cathyrusson

#HartungTrial - Hartung says he got to his mother's house on July 28 around 1pm. He played with the dog for a little bit then went inside the house. He said his mother and John were there. John was off work that day.
11:17 AM · Jan 23, 2020

 

[Jewels53]

[URL='https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetwork']Law & Crime Network[URL='https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetwork']@LawCrimeNetwork[/URL][/URL]
#HartungTrial - Hartung watched TV with his mom. The QVC channel. He said then his mom changed the channel to fox news. Agt. Infinger questions him on who were the hosts on the news channel at that time. Hartung has a hard time identifying them - dark hair, one was blonde.
11:26 AM · Jan 23, 2020

[URL='https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetwork']Law & Crime Network[URL='https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetwork']@LawCrimeNetwork[/URL][/URL]
#HartungTrial - Agent Infinger asks Hartung if he will take a lie detector test. Hartung, "I don't see why not."
11:36 AM · Jan 23, 2020

[URL='https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetwork']Law & Crime Network[URL='https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetwork']@LawCrimeNetwork[/URL][/URL]
#HartungTrial - The first interview video has ended. Prosecutor Bridgette Jensen now questioning Agent Infinger.

11:42 AM · Jan 23, 2020·

 

[Jewels53]

[URL='https://twitter.com/cathyrusson']Cathy Russon[URL='https://twitter.com/cathyrusson']@cathyrusson[/URL][/URL]
#HartungTrial - After agents have had a chance to walk through the crime scene they bring Hartung back in. It's about 1 a.m. on Aug. 1. https://lawandcrime.com/live-trials/live-trials-current/donald-hartung/watch-live-donald-hartung-on-trial-for-allegedly-murdering-his-mom-and-his-2-half-brothers/…


11:47 AM · Jan 23, 2020

[URL='https://twitter.com/cathyrusson']Cathy Russon[URL='https://twitter.com/cathyrusson']@cathyrusson[/URL][/URL]
#HartungTrial - Agent brings up Hartung's demeanor saying if he was being accused of murder he'd be mad as *advertiser censored**, but Hartung is showing no emotion, he says.


11:36 AM · Jan 23, 2020

[URL='https://twitter.com/cathyrusson']Cathy Russon[URL='https://twitter.com/cathyrusson']@cathyrusson[/URL][/URL]
#HartungTrial - Video shown yesterday of Richard "RT" Smith (pink shirt) and John Smith at their perspective places of work. Richard worked for Homeland Security and John was a cart pusher at Walmart.




11:40 AM · Jan 23, 2020

 

[Jewels53]

Donald Hartung Trial Day 3 - Spc Agt Matt Infinger - FDLE - Defendant's Police Interview Part 1

 

[Jewels53]

Donald Hartung Trial Day 3 - Spc Agt Matt Infinger - FDLE - Defendant's Police Interview Part 2

 

[Jewels53]

Donald Hartung Trial Day 3 - Spc Agt Matt Infinger - FDLE - Defendant's Police Interview Part 3

 

[Jewels53]

Donald Hartung Trial Day 3 - Spc Agt Matt Infinger - FDLE, Spc Agt Christopher Williams, Brad Gordon

 

[Jewels53]

Cathy Russon@cathyrusson
#HartungTrial - WATCH LIVE: Jailhouse informant is on the stand. We expect him to testify that Hartung confessed to the murders. https://lawandcrime.com/live-trials/live-trials-current/donald-hartung/watch-live-donald-hartung-on-trial-for-allegedly-murdering-his-mom-and-his-2-half-brothers/

Cathy Russon@cathyrusson

#HartungTrial - In 2016 he was housed in the same pod as the defendant. Purifoy said he and Hartung would talk football. He liked Florida State, Hartung liked Alabama.




Cathy Russon@cathyrusson
#HartungTrial - Purifoy says Hartung told him he had to kill Richard with a gun because Richard was a big guy, worked for Homeland Security.
9:30 AM · Jan 24, 2020

 

[Jewels53]

[URL='https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetwork']Law & Crime Network[URL='https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetwork']@LawCrimeNetwork[/URL][/URL]
#HartungTrial - Purifoy says Hartung told him his mother did give him the safe combination, said it was in her purse. He then beat her with a hammer and cut her throat.
9:30 AM · Jan 24, 2020

Cathy Russon@cathyrusson

#HartungTrial - Purifoy says Hartung told him he'd been planning the murders for years but then a Ouija Board "made him do it, made him go overboard."

[URL='https://twitter.com/cathyrusson']Cathy Russon[URL='https://twitter.com/cathyrusson']@cathyrusson[/URL][/URL]
#HartungTrial - Purifoy said Hartung told him he unlocked the back gate so it looked like someone else did it.
9:34 AM · Jan 24, 2020

 

[Jewels53]

Cathy Russon@cathyrusson

#HartungTrial - Purifoy testifies that Donald Hartung told him he killed his family because he wanted the money because his mom had left him out of the will. Why not just kill his mom? Because the money would have gone to his brothers.


9:24 AM · Jan 24, 2020

[URL='https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetwork']Law & Crime Network[URL='https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetwork']@LawCrimeNetwork[/URL][/URL]
#HartungTrial - Purifoy said Hartung told him his son, Donald Jr., was molested by Hartung's brother John when he was 3 years old. Hartung told his mother and she didn't believe him, saying John was "special".

Cathy Russon@cathyrusson

#HartungTrial - Now cross-exam. Purifoy has already received a reduced sentence from mandatory life to 30 years for his cooperation in this case and hopes to get a further reduction.
9:43 AM · Jan 24, 2020

 

[ChicagoChic]

I am watching this on Court TV. I found the jail house informant to be credible. He gave a lot of detail.
JMO, but I think that the defendant looks evil. Really weird.