Mock defense is below and points I would like to make as a prosecutor.
Raven's knife collection was missing along with the murder weapon. He liked to collect knives, pretty convenient that all went missing. Don't people hide their collection? Why were other things not stolen?
- Someone stole the computer.
- Raven didn't have time to hide the computer.
Raven's computer was confiscated by LE when he embezzled. He knew in advance his Laptop would be confiscated again. He could have brought the laptop with him to soccer, and left Janet without a computer. There is nobody to confirm that the computer was there when he left to go play soccer. We do not know if the computer was used by Janet AFTER Raven left.
- No forced entry could simply be that the door was unlocked.
No forced entry but the door was opened, ajar, this was not confirmed or denied, we only have the word of Raven, who is a convicted felon.
- The previous tenants were drug dealers. People could have come trying to get drugs and Janet didn't have any.
Janet was never a drug dealer, so of course she didn't have drugs. Drug seekers would have knocked first, thinking their dealers were inside. There was no signs of forced entry.
There would have been DNA found in the home pointing away from Raven.
Someone out to steal drugs would have had a gun with them, not a knife. Druggies would have made enough noise to wake Kaiden. They would have rifled through the cabinets seeking drugs, there would have been items all over that house misplaced. Things would have been turned over.
Knives are personal and not what a druggies would be out walking around with. That would then make it plural. There would have been DNA pointing towards someone coming into the home.
Janet was upstairs, Janet would have heard intruders "druggies' coming into the home and would have ran down to greet them, probably with a baseball bat.
Janet & Raven had animals.
Someone trying to steal or drug seekers would have had to go up the stairs and be able to SNEAK up on her.
If Janet answered the door and let them in, how would she be murdered upstairs? She would NEVER allow someone up near Kaiden.
In the end, Janet would have fought tooth and nail instead of allowed someone up behind her, put their arm around her and stab her multiple times. IMO She knew who was behind her with his arm around her.
Raven stated the door was ajar....Raven is not known for telling the truth.
- Time of Death is approximate
TOD are always approximate without a witness. She was last known alive when the Church Member left, not when Raven states he left.
- Raven didn't know how she was killed. He thought she was shot.
Raven knows the difference between a gun shot wound a knife wound. He knew she was killed by a knife wound and tried to point it away. He is into Franklin Covey planning and he had to sound innocent, the entire 911 call itself will be entered into evidence. That call IMO will play a huge part to show that Raven did not sound or seem like someone that just walked in to find his wife murdered.
Yes - but that doesn't mean he did not have time to murder Janet before or after.
- There is no evidence to prove Raven was there when Janet was killed.
He was the last person to see her alive. He was the one with the means and the motive. He is the only person who stood to gain in he death of Janet.
If I were a Bird - another set up.
Rumors of affairs at time of murder.
Telling people that Janet committed suicide.
No vehicles home at the time of the murder = Raven's VX away from Home, Janet's vehicle brought into the shop (conveniently)
Large Life Insurance Policy