GUILTY KS - Vashti Seacat, 34, found slain in house fire, Kingman, 30 April 2011 - #2

--not one state witness said that Vashti was sad or depressed. she was hopeful about the direction her life was taking.
--The only people that have said that Vashti was depressed was Bobby Seacat, the older brother of Brett. He said that Vashti was depressed on Easter weekend. Bobby said that he now remembers that Vashti looked depressed and sleepy/tired. He had previously told police that he didn't see any signs of depression. Bobby is a former law enforcement officer.
--Vashti had plans to go out dancing with her friends on Saturday night.
--Shows you why Brett had to murder Vashti on Friday April 29th.
--Vashti had given Brett until Sunday at noon to get out of the house.
--When Vashti went to Wichita she usually stayed overnight.
--Friday night was Brett's only opportunity for the murder.
--Vashti had plans to go to a concert on May 19th
--Vashti made hotel reservations eleven days before she died
--Jury was shown physical exhibits showing Vashti's planning.
--Brett threatened to take the kids, killed her
--Brett says that he made the threats to expose Vashti on Friday night and he wants you to believe that the threat pushed her to kill herself.
--Brett is asking you to believe the threat
--Money order, day before Vashti died she signed a money order...shows you that Vashti was looking ahead. Also tells you about Brett's timing. He doesn't know about the money order as it was in Vashti's purse.
--After he is arrested, and two years before he comes to trial is when he now tells about the threat on the Friday before she died.
--That's the reason for the timing, because Friday night he says he made the threat that left her with no other options other than to kill herself.
--Brett's threats show how controlling and manipulative he is.
--He makes threats continuously leading up to the divorce.
--Threatens to take the kids away, threatens to kill her if she divorces him or has an affair.
--Threats lead up to Vashti's threats. None of the threats deterred her from the divorce.
--Telling Vashti about a dream is more manipulation, more control on his part, it's a threat.
--Why does he admit he made the threat? Because he made a threat in front of Connie Suderman. He made a threat to a third party. He knew that Suderman would tell about the threat so he brings it up in trial.
--When Vashti started going for counselling she told her friends and the counsellor about the threats. That's why he is angry about being confronted about the threats.
--So then we have a statement about a different threat.
--Brett told the jury that he made a threat to expose Vashti about an affair.

--Day before Vashti died he is planning the murder, using the overhead projector, destroying cell phones, trashing hard drives.
 
Does anyone know if after the defense closes does the proseuctor get another chance to run down and disprove whatever defense puts forth?

Yes. State has 1 1/2 hours, then defense gets 1 1/2 hours and finally the State gets the final 1/1/2 hours.
 
Awesome points about the fire and and where is started...
 
No burns on any of his body after the fire...but HE'S TOAST NOW!
 
yes. Judge said both get 90 minutes and that the prosecutor can split the time and do some of her close after the defense because she has the burden of proof in this case. :seeya:

Oh I thought judge said each of the three gets up to 90 minutes? I thought the State always gets the final words.
 
The gun - she's asking jurors to be sure to pick up the gun during deliberations. She wants them to feel the weight of that gun, imagine it, go ahead and pull the trigger.

Vashti didn't like guns, and wasn't into guns. Then, think of angle, and recoil.

This heavy hand gun, when there was the smaller Raven gun in the same bedroom.
 
Brett is not able to sit still now. He keeps talking to his attorney. He's nodded yes when she said Vashti was laying on her back.

She points out that Vashti was asleep on her left side when Brett went in and shot her.
 
Ms Hanly is tying this up nice and neat. I think she must be reserving some of her time, I thought the judge said 5 minutes?

I looked that gun up it weighs 3.4 lbs. heavy to hold to your head at that angle I would think.
 
Seacat and his script for the police
Vashti's depression, etc.
Interview all manipulation and games
Why does he bring up journal? He knows journal was collected and fingerprinted so he has to put himself in connection with the journal in case there are his fingerprints.
Watch his body language in video
more talk of his chatting about Vashti's deep depression but won't say her name, says her and the body
 
Seriously, this is JA redux

Wants to try and garner sympathy
Manipulation and control used over and over
Always has an answer for everything
When his attorney wants answers, he answers
When I want answers he wants a transcripts
 
I'm very impressed with this prosecutor!

I completely agree, I was late to this trial and did like others and caught up on the threads and read the articles and even with the video turned off at times I thought the state was thorough. Her closing is right onto important points.
 
good powerpoint on all the charges
and the evidence tied to those charges
 
re: gun, Ruger Hawk 44 magnum

--States asks the jury to pick up the heavy handgun when they go back to the jury room. States asks them to pick it up, pull the trigger...

--Friend of Vashti fired the gun at a range, said it was heavy, hard to position, kicked back
--recoil depends on size, load, strength
--Is this the gun that Vashti chose to shoot herself in the head with when there was a .25 cal Raven on the dresser
--Vashti supposedly got it up to her head and fire it at a downward angle that sliced her spinal cord
--somehow the recoil left the gun underneath the left side of her body
--Vashti is right handed, how did the gun wind up underneath her body? How did her dead body roll itself over onto her left side with her arms tucked?
How does the gun end up there?

re: trajectory
--right to left
--somebody stood over top of her and pulled the trigger
--consistent to somebody laying in bed asleep
--that's the path of the bullet

re: autopsy
--there is a gas fire, gas fires burn quickly, lots of smoke
--whoever is setting a fire is going to breathe in smoke
--no soot in Vashti's airways, lungs.
--no carbon monoxide in her blood.
--Vashti never breathed in any smoke, she was dead when the fires were lit
--380ml of urine in Vashti's bladder, that amount would have caused a strong urge to urinate.

--BDU pants that Brett had on. Pants had gasoline on them.
--direct link between Brett and the crime scene. Probably spilled gas on his pants without even knowing it.
--Brett wouldn't have smelled it either, if he did he would have gotten rid of them.
--The smell test is not the only thing that detects gasoline.
--State's expert tested the pants. Gas was still on the pants.
--Gas on pants is another piece of physical evidence connecting Brett to the murder.

--Brett counted on the fire to burn up the evidence.
--Two days after the fire Brett tells the day care worker that he heard that the pool table from the third floor is all the way in the basement. The pool table was found in the third floor.
--Brett thinks that the evidence burned.
--Brett tells police, that he doesn't think that he knows if the house is in any shape.
--Brett still has to plan evidence of suicide.
--Brett traces words and phrases from Vashti's journal.
--Brett thinks the house is going to burn, when he calls 911 he tells them that he thinks she is dead, that she killed herself...says that Vashti's head is gone.
--Knows that the entire south wall of the house is gone. Makes statements about trying to get her out. Paints a picture about trying to get Vashti out.
--Brett told the police that the focus of marriage counselling was Vashti's depression.
--Brett is telling police about things he thinks they already know.
--He brings up the journal, says he took the journal and made copies. He had to put himself in connection with the journal.
--State asks the jury to watch the body language in the police video from 12 days after Vashti's death.

--Brett tries calling Vashti right away but gets a hold of her at 9:30. Why does Brett call her? He wants sympathy for the poor guy who's wife committed suicide. He is trying to manipulate Connie Suderman.
--Brett has the yellow paper with notes, the night of the murder, "calm" etc. still had his notes when he was arrested.

--Brett always has a script and always has an answer for everything.
--Brett was able to provide every detail his lawyer asked for.

--On direct when asked Brett has answers, on cross he wants the transcript.

--Brett had fire investigation Power Point, shoots Vashti while she is sleeping, planning the call, planning the fire.
--Defence is not disputing the premeditation
--Kids were in the house at the time & that endangered them, aggravated child endangerment, one count for each boy.
--Brett said the fire started when the boys were in the home.
--Both boys were interviewed
--Children were in the home when the fire stated, Vashti would not have started a fire with them inside. Vashti picked up the kids, cooked organic etc. and would not have risked their lives by starting the fire. Vashti didn't agree with Brett's parenting style. She wouldn't have risked her children.
--Only reason anyone would set the house on fire is to cover up the crime scene.

--Jurors will have the evidence to go through, verdict forms for each charge.
 
has 31 minutes left

brief recess

then defense has 1.5 hours

go to bathroom
 
Just caught the ending of the closing...SHE'S terrific and NO WAY is he "not guilty". Mr. "BS" is another failed member of Mensa, he knows just enough to attempt to create the "perfect CSI crime" but doesn't realize that there are folks who know MORE and QUESTION ALL.


PS: I hope this case puts to rest the belief by some that the Medical Examiner works FOR/IN CONJUNCTION WITH law enforcement to make the victim's death "fit" the alleged perp.! The ETHICS of this ME/CORONER/forensic pathologist are top notch, that volume of urine in the bladder COULD/WOULD HAVE, along with the lack of carboxyhgb and "visible" soot particles, resulted in a MOD of homicide by many an evaluator!, IMVHO!!!:twocents::twocents::twocents:
 
Bravo to Ms. Hanley! Loved the visuals and loved the way she put some logical common sense thinking into her closing.
 

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