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

[diphi]

Awwww, I'm sensing a kumbaya moment here. Group hug going out to all...:Banane35::Banane35::Banane35::Banane35::Banane35::Banane35::Banane35::Banane35::Banane35::Banane35::Banane35::Banane39:

 

[diphi]

Been watching the closing arguments tonight. I agree Saacks is doing an excellent job. I've never watched him before.

IMO

 

[no1uknow]

It's been our pleasure to have you join us....and I'm so terribly sorry you were affected, first hand, by this case. I'm ready for the verdict, too, but not in the same way you are. Please know that we would love to have you join us again for any of the upcoming trials in and around Raleigh. Sadly, there are still a few to go. Take care of yourself and when the verdict is read, know that we will be celebrating right along with you. (((((hugs)))))

Ha! Weeellll, NCEast, I'm going to have to think about getting involved in watching another murder trial. I can't imagine I'd have as much interest, for obvious reasons. Dear God, I hope I never have another reason to be this interested in another murder trial!
Thanks for your comments, laces. I appreciate what you're saying. I think maybe you're right. Maybe a few of us were here, at the time, for a reason and I think that reason may have been to help Jessica with what little we could do for her.
Gracie, I hope you feel better soon, gal!
I'll still be around until all is done with this case. I'm hoping for a quick and decisive verdict. After that, I need to get back to my quiet, beautiful little life. I want to thank you all, again, for allowing me to get some of this stuff off of my chest. It's been quite therapeutic. I truly appreciate you all for lending me your ears and even more for your heartfelt and compassionate support. All of this will hopefully, finally be over within the next few days. I can't tell you how relieved I am by the thought of that. It's almost too good to be true.

 

[diphi]

Sometimes the reason why we have to go through bad times is because there is someone coming into our lives in the future who will need our help. When you have already been through it, you have such a keen understanding of the situation that you are able to be the support, the friend that they need. Sometimes people just need someone to understand, and you will certainly qualify.

I really like what you said; it is so true.

 

[diphi]

Ha! Weeellll, NCEast, I'm going to have to think about getting involved in watching another murder trial. I can't imagine I'd have as much interest, for obvious reasons. Dear God, I hope I never have another reason to be this interested in another murder trial!
Thanks for your comments, laces. I appreciate what you're saying. I think maybe you're right. Maybe a few of us were here, at the time, for a reason and I think that reason may have been to help Jessica with what little we could do for her.
Gracie, I hope you feel better soon, gal!
I'll still be around until all is done with this case. I'm hoping for a quick and decisive verdict. After that, I need to get back to my quiet, beautiful little life. I want to thank you all, again, for allowing me to get some of this stuff off of my chest. It's been quite therapeutic. I truly appreciate you all for lending me your ears and even more for your heartfelt and compassionate support. All of this will hopefully, finally be over within the next few days. I can't tell you how relieved I am by the thought of that. It's almost too good to be true.

It's been a pleasure for us, no1. We wish you the very best going forward, even if you don't stick around. Following these kinds of crimes on WS is not for everyone, that's for sure.

IMO

 

[borndem]

It has been a pleasure reading all of your thoughts and ideas. It's a terrible thing we've been discussing but I wanted to thank you all for being so kind to me. I'm really ready for this verdict to be read and for this whole thing to be in past but I have to say, I think I'm going to miss you folks.....

Now that would be an original song to write & play, no1 -- you know?! And BTW, my favorite bluegrass instrument is banjo -- my uncle is in a little b.g. group, and they are good. From Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon of Kentucky" to Mark Knopfler's version!

Now there's a project..... Like I'm sure you need one, uknow! Something like "Verdict Watch Blues" or "Guilty, Going, and Gone" or (it's a gettin' worse by the second...) hmmmm or a new version of "He's in the Jailhouse Now." I'll keep thinkin.' Or not.

Many, many thanks for sharing a part of your life that was private and painful -- but you persevered and you won! Stand up straight and be proud!

Don't leave us just yet, we're got a verdict watch a'goin right now!

 

[borndem]

Been watching the closing arguments tonight. I agree Saacks is doing an excellent job. I've never watched him before.

IMO

He is the best we've got! I hope we can keep him on the right side of the courtroom -- over there at the Prosecution Team's table. Yes, he should get a raise, my Sleuther buds, as has already been said today. We'll see what the jury thinks.

And just as we Sleuthers have been a jovial, serious, fun-loving, thought-provoking and perceptive bunch, the principals have been such a nice breath of fresh air -- respectful, friendly and professional in an easy-going way. And only once did the good Judge Gessner turn red with anger and frustration -- and it was directed towards a juror, not an attorney or the defendant or a witness.

But the Fat Lady hasn't sung yet, sports fans. Hang on....

 

[no1uknow]

Now that would be an original song to write & play, no1 -- you know?! And BTW, my favorite bluegrass instrument is banjo -- my uncle is in a little b.g. group, and they are good. From Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon of Kentucky" to Mark Knopfler's version!

Now there's a project..... Like I'm sure you need one, uknow! Something like "Verdict Watch Blues" or "Guilty, Going, and Gone" or (it's a gettin' worse by the second...) hmmmm or a new version of "He's in the Jailhouse Now." I'll keep thinkin.' Or not.

Many, many thanks for sharing a part of your life that was private and painful -- but you persevered and you won! Stand up straight and be proud!

Don't leave us just yet, we're got a verdict watch a'goin right now!

I feel a little embarrassed to post this badly-written poem/song I wrote before Jason got arrested. I always thought I heard something outside, in the backyard, late at night. That noise stopped after he was arrested. I don't know that it was Jason out there but after hearing the testimony in this trial, I believe it may have been. I'll have to revise this but this is what I wrote in late March of 2010.

The devil lives in these woods
He knew it was going to rain
And wash away his tracks
The sky cried itself dry, the wind blew 'til it tired
The devil lives in these woods
I know, the devil lives in these woods

He crept and schemed and then
He beat and raped and murdered
Done with his terrible work
He walked through the crick, with a club or a stick
The devil lives in these woods
I know, the devil lives in these woods

And now, I hear evil in the trees
The devil is thinking of what he will do next
Watching and waiting, he's there at night
Into darkness, I stare, and I know he's there
The devil lives in these woods
I know, the devil lives in these woods

 

[Madeleine74]

Wow! That's haunting and so prophetic. It's exactly what was happening at that time. Glad some calm and peace and quiet solitude has come back.

Quick question: did you live in your apt before Jessica & Jason moved into theirs?

Okay another question: how is your roommate coping with all of this? And what about the woman in the other unit?

 

[no1uknow]

Wow! That's haunting and so prophetic. It's exactly what was happening at that time. Glad some calm and peace and quiet solitude has come back.

Quick question: did you live in your apt before Jessica & Jason moved into theirs?

Okay another question: how is your roommate coping with all of this? And what about the woman in the other unit?

Thanks, Mad.
Yes, my roomie/best friend and I have lived here for about 7 years now so we lived here long before Jessica and Jason moved in.
Her reaction is different from mine but I totally understand where she's coming from. She, of course, spoke to Jason on occasion, too, and got to know Jessica, as well. Her way of dealing with this has been, basically, that she knows he did it, she doesn't need a lot of details and whatever happens to him is out of her hands. She wants for him to never, ever be let out of jail. She is 100% against the death penalty (whereas, I'm on the fence.) We discuss this crime/trial almost every day, as we have for over two years. She's really tired of it and wants it to be in the past but more than anything, she'd like to see justice for Kathy Taft.
The other lady who lives here feels very much like I do. By the way, she and her boyfriend have lived here since before I have. They are absolutely wonderful human beings who I love and respect, very much. GREAT neighbors! We talk, as neighbors do, every day or two. Both of them have been very effected by this whole ordeal, as well. In fact, they live in Apt C, so they actually shared a wall with Jason and Jessica. I don't want to give away their identities so I'll call them X (the lady) and Y (the guy.)
I'll never forget the day, a few weeks before Jason was arrested, I walked outside to check the mail and met X out there. She asked me if detectives had been over to talk to me. I told her, yes, they had. She then told me they'd come to speak to both she and Y and had taken Y's DNA. Right about then, Jason walked outside. She asked him, "Jason, did you know the cops are collecting DNA from all the males in the neighborhood?" He said absolutely nothing. He just kind of stared at us for a few seconds. He didn't immediately go back into his house. He just stood there for a while. In hindsight, it's really scary and creepy. At the time, I didn't think much about it. I just figured he was in as much shock as everyone else in this neighborhood was.

 

[laces]

Awwww, I'm sensing a kumbaya moment here. Group hug going out to all...:Banane35::Banane35::Banane35::Banane35::Banane35::Banane35::Banane35::Banane35::Banane35::Banane35::Banane35::Banane39:

love it love it. well, for me, a bad start to a day off. Supposed to go to Special Olympics to help out today, getting ready and found a small drop of water on the wood floor. Spin and boom right into the corner of the wall with my back. Not easy to do, but I am an expert witness in the field of clumsiness. I am off the floor, but if I can move in an hour, I am off to Raleigh. If not, I'll be here with you all. Morning! and I must say, no1, I thought it was a very fitting poem. Good job of expression!

 

[borndem]

I feel a little embarrassed to post this badly-written poem/song I wrote before Jason got arrested. I always thought I heard something outside, in the backyard, late at night. That noise stopped after he was arrested. I don't know that it was Jason out there but after hearing the testimony in this trial, I believe it may have been. I'll have to revise this but this is what I wrote in late March of 2010.

The devil lives in these woods
He knew it was going to rain
And wash away his tracks
The sky cried itself dry, the wind blew 'til it tired
The devil lives in these woods
I know, the devil lives in these woods

He crept and schemed and then
He beat and raped and murdered
Done with his terrible work
He walked through the crick, with a club or a stick
The devil lives in these woods
I know, the devil lives in these woods

And now, I hear evil in the trees
The devil is thinking of what he will do next
Watching and waiting, he's there at night
Into darkness, I stare, and I know he's there
The devil lives in these woods
I know, the devil lives in these woods

Whew!! Made my hair stand on end & chillbumps at the same time!! How prescient, no1uknow! Some part of you knew the devil WAS in those woods. It's only a scary song to those who have been through something as harrowing as we now know that it was. Darn good lyrics, and I am a lyrics freak since I am a bit of a writer... Wow, talk about a 6th sense!

It's ready, no1, go put your fingerpicks on!!

 

[waltzingmatilda]

I feel a little embarrassed to post this badly-written poem/song I wrote before Jason got arrested. I always thought I heard something outside, in the backyard, late at night. That noise stopped after he was arrested. I don't know that it was Jason out there but after hearing the testimony in this trial, I believe it may have been. I'll have to revise this but this is what I wrote in late March of 2010.

The devil lives in these woods
He knew it was going to rain
And wash away his tracks
The sky cried itself dry, the wind blew 'til it tired
The devil lives in these woods
I know, the devil lives in these woods

He crept and schemed and then
He beat and raped and murdered
Done with his terrible work
He walked through the crick, with a club or a stick
The devil lives in these woods
I know, the devil lives in these woods

And now, I hear evil in the trees
The devil is thinking of what he will do next
Watching and waiting, he's there at night
Into darkness, I stare, and I know he's there
The devil lives in these woods
I know, the devil lives in these woods

Good Morning No1 and everyone!

I think the poem is beautifully written. The subject matter is frightening but conveys your feelings. I love that you used 'crick' - Mr wm is from Montana and he pronounces it 'crick' also.

I hope you stick around with us here at WS. We have a great group of folks who follow NC trials. Everyone is so nice and respectful of one another and I find it very refreshing to participate and read the various opinions.

wm

 

[sloothseeker]

The devil lives in these woods
He knew it was going to rain
And wash away his tracks
The sky cried itself dry, the wind blew 'til it tired
The devil lives in these woods
I know, the devil lives in these woods

He crept and schemed and then
He beat and raped and murdered
Done with his terrible work
He walked through the crick, with a club or a stick
The devil lives in these woods
I know, the devil lives in these woods

And now, I hear evil in the trees
The devil is thinking of what he will do next
Watching and waiting, he's there at night
Into darkness, I stare, and I know he's there
The devil lives in these woods
I know, the devil lives in these woods

Add a last line - And now the devil will get his due!!

 

[borndem]

If I were on the jury it was be the proverbial slam dunk and I'd already be standing in line to re-enter the courtroom with a verdict. Even if the entire jury feels the same, I'm sure they will take some time just so it will appear that they appropriately did their job. I just don't know how in the world they could come back with anything but 1st degree on all 3 charges.

Ahhh!! When I read what you wrote, East, it reminded me of the Laurence Lovette trial in Orange County, NC, 27514. This was the trial for the co-killer of Eve Carson, the amazing UNC undergrad & President of the Student Body who was killed in the middle of the night (of course) and left to die in the street of a sawed-off shotgun (nicknamed "baby gauge" grrrrr) shot to her head.

He was one of the two who had kidnapped, robbed her via ATM txns, and shot her down on a CHill residential street. The other killer had already pleaded G to federal charges & got LWOP instead of the DP. Lovette was not 18 at the time of the crime, so he stood trial in the NC court system for Murder 1st. There were pics of him in the driver's seat of her car at the ATM, good testimony of other very incriminating evidence, etc., etc. In fact the foreperson of the jury was a woman with whom my DH works at Duke. Of course no one knew till she had returned. That jury got the case in the afternoon, IIRC, and took a day and a half to bring back Guilty of 1st/LWOP.

She explained later that the 1st ballot was G all the way around, but they did take their time and all 12 were very confident they had arrived at the correct verdict.

Let's hope.

 

[Madeleine74]

This case is more complicated than the Eve Carson one, IMO. Because it's a DP case, a diminished capacity defense, and involves a scenario where the jury has to decide intent at a couple key points, there are more moving parts. I could see a jury deciding 2nd degree murder, where in the Carson case it was a slam dunk 1st degree murder case.

 

[NCB]

love it love it. well, for me, a bad start to a day off. Supposed to go to Special Olympics to help out today, getting ready and found a small drop of water on the wood floor. Spin and boom right into the corner of the wall with my back. Not easy to do, but I am an expert witness in the field of clumsiness. I am off the floor, but if I can move in an hour, I am off to Raleigh. If not, I'll be here with you all. Morning! and I must say, no1, I thought it was a very fitting poem. Good job of expression!

That sounds terrible, laces!! I hope you're okay--please take it easy!

 

[seattlechiquita]

Morning y'all. Turns out huge changes at UW are taking me away this morning. Hoping for a speedy and just verdict.

 

[borndem]

This case is more complicated than the Eve Carson one, IMO. Because it's a DP case, a diminished capacity defense, and involves a scenario where the jury has to decide intent at a couple key points, there are more moving parts. I could see a jury deciding 2nd degree murder, where in the Carson case it was a slam dunk 1st degree murder case.

Oh, yes, Mad, it certainly is -- I was merely comparing East's readiness to go with her verdict to the 12 on the Lovette verdict. Yeah, it was pretty much a slam dunk -- the ATM pictures of that animal spoke as loudly and much more accurately than an eye witness, coupled with the detailed records of Eve's bank with the txns that those two killers performed. And there was only one charge.

Here, we have the DNA which screams JW, but yeah, then it gets complicated, as we all know. And the limited capacity really throws a wrench into it -- and I'm a bit dismayed by having to couple the intent-to-rape with the 1st Burglary charge. Has anybody seen this kind of jury instruction before?? I'm no lawyer, and it bamboozles me...

As gracielee said, I hope the jurors felt about Wolfe the way we did.... That would go a long way I think to a 1st Murder conviction.... and that is really the heart & soul of all this.... Fly on the jury room wall, anyone??

 

[borndem]

WRAL's recap of yesterday:

Attorneys plead their cases before Williford jury
A Wake County jury began Thursday afternoon deliberating the fate of Jason Williford, who's charged with first-degree murder, first-degree rape and first-degree burglary in the March 2010 death of state school board member Kathy Taft.