GUILTY NC - Laura Ackerson, 27, Kinston, 13 July 2011 #2

[Hadassah32]

I'm in eastern North Carolina and have friends in BC, have visited them several times. Lovely area, and the parts that are still in the 'wild' seem like going back in time 300 years--before humans, industry, pollution. Gorgeous!

Why Thank you, we think its very beautiful too. I had an Aunt in North Carolina for awhile and an old friend from Lumberton.

 

[Boodles]

Bless the hearts of those divers. Such horrendous physical conditions to contend with, heat, invasive vegetation, gators, etc., and the gruesomeness of what they were looking for and ultimately found. Thankfully, they persevered to find as much as they could. This Texas team was absolutely wonderful. I'm glad they cared so much about finding Laura.

 

[Lucylu7]

Im in Kelowna where are you at. Wanta have a watching party?

Lol,not far away,Armstrong.Love watching trials,my puppy is waiting patiently to go swimming,and I keep sitting here watching.Gotta go soon ,though.

 

[seattlechiquita]

Hola everyone and thanks for the updates. I am at a workshop all day so can't watch live stream.

 

[CarolinaMoon]

Her dentist is on the stand now, discussing her x-rays, a filing he replaced, etc. I find his body language weird. He looks like he's looking for the camera, smiling, noticeably running his tong around his open mouth. For some reason, he gives me the creeps.

 

[borndem]

I totally agree.
And thank goodness they were not smart enough to buy a disposable cell phone.

Agreed, EasternOne! But plan they did, as we all know! Making a "To-Do-Her-In" list -- coolers, trash can, gloves, acid <shiver> and prolly some research on what kind of acid & where to get it, cutting tool, UHaul & and excuse for something/somewhere to haul that piece of furniture, GH waiting at the Sheetz with the boys & being obvious about it, tie-downs, etc., etc., etc. Oh, we're so smart!!

How do we kill her? You hold her down, I'll strangle her neck. ?? I'll smother her with a pillow. ?? Vacuum cleaner -- not ours; bleach, etc.

Did they use the acid? How -- in the coolers -- or would it eat up the coolers, too? To soften the body in a tub before they diced & sliced it? Did I miss any testimony about that?

Premeditation and conspiracy; getting her to visit, which she usually never did, so how to swing that to get her there; murder; making the body easier to transport.

Grand plans (Grant plans) -- nobody will figure this out -- and who of the two is the smart one -- no question, folks. :stormingmad:

 

[Nymeria]

Her dentist is on the stand now, discussing her x-rays, a filing he replaced, etc. I find his body language weird. He looks like he's looking for the camera, smiling, noticeably running his tong around his open mouth. For some reason, he gives me the creeps.

OK I was going to post something too, but I thought it was just me!
I noticed the smiling, and the almost "happy to be here" vibe he is giving off.
I am sure that he is likely just one of those nice guys who project good natured, but seeing him on the stand in a murder trial this horrendous does add the creepy factor to it.

My actual thought was "Has anyone ever been this chipper on the stand in any courtroom ever?!?" :facepalm:

PS- Have to admit, I unconsciously smiled along with him....powers of suggestion or something...scary!

 

[CUCKOOHEAD]

Her dentist is on the stand now, discussing her x-rays, a filing he replaced, etc. I find his body language weird. He looks like he's looking for the camera, smiling, noticeably running his tong around his open mouth. For some reason, he gives me the creeps.

He seems like he is delighted to be there. Reminds me of that manic dentist, that liked pain, in 'The Little Shop of Horrors'. Feed me Seymour.

 

[borndem]

Why Thank you, we think its very beautiful too. I had an Aunt in North Carolina for awhile and an old friend from Lumberton.

bbm Talk about 6 degrees of separation! I was born & grew up in Lumberton (NC, that is, swimming pools, movie stars - were not there).

 

[NCEast]

Why Thank you, we think its very beautiful too. I had an Aunt in North Carolina for awhile and an old friend from Lumberton.

It is, indeed, a small world!

 

[CUCKOOHEAD]

Is this defense trying to pin the crime, in it's entirety, on Amanda and her sister Karen Berry?

So poor ole Grant was just stuck there, trying to pay everyone's bills and keep all his women from killing each other? Is that the path the defense would like to lead us? I am NOT buying that.

 

[NCEast]

Bless the hearts of those divers. Such horrendous physical conditions to contend with, heat, invasive vegetation, gators, etc., and the gruesomeness of what they were looking for and ultimately found. Thankfully, they persevered to find as much as they could. This Texas team was absolutely wonderful. I'm glad they cared so much about finding Laura.

Can anybody remember exactly where they are from, which department? Are they from the same department that Det. LeTour and the other detective of this morning are from? I'm sorry, I was doing a good job of taking notes and even remembering things until I realized at lunch that my notes had been thrown away by accident.

 

[NCEast]

OK I was going to post something too, but I thought it was just me!
I noticed the smiling, and the almost "happy to be here" vibe he is giving off.
I am sure that he is likely just one of those nice guys who project good natured, but seeing him on the stand in a murder trial this horrendous does add the creepy factor to it.

My actual thought was "Has anyone ever been this chipper on the stand in any courtroom ever?!?" :facepalm:

PS- Have to admit, I unconsciously smiled along with him....powers of suggestion or something...scary!

And,,,,I have been sitting here wondering if he and Grant H. were friends at some point in their lives. Both are from Kinston. He looked towards the defense table at one point and just kind of let out a giggle.

 

[CarolinaMoon]

Oh, my. I had a bit of buffering and missed something. It sounds as though there has to be some sort of chain of evidence concerning the body parts?

ETA: It seems as though the defense wants to challenge that the head is not from her body???

ETA 2: Now, the judge has called back the diver whose plane isn't taking off for a while back to see if he can identify the head retrieved from the swamp as the same head as was delivered to the coroner's office!

I don't know if the defense, with their objection got what they wanted, now the pictures of the head can be shown in court.

Now, diver who isn't leaving yet didn't see the unwrapped head.

The guy on the way to the airport is apparently being told to turn around and come back to court.

Macabre...

 

[NCEast]

Oh, my. I had a bit of buffering and missed something. It sounds as though there has to be some sort of chain of evidence concerning the body parts?

ETA: It seems as though the defense wants to challenge that the head is not from her body???

Something about teeth being etched and the head, chain of custody, etc. My sound is surging in and out and I missed the defense's objection to the teeth, or to the dentist, or something about the teeth--and then that led into the discussion about the head. One of the divers is on the way back to the airport but another is still there and can testified about the head.

 

[Boodles]

Oh, my. I had a bit of buffering and missed something. It sounds as though there has to be some sort of chain of evidence concerning the body parts?

CM, I don't think so. I think the State is just being (perhaps overly?) meticulous in its case.

The judge said something yesterday like: "if the defense wants to question whether these are the remains of Laura Ackerson, then..." and then issued some protocol they would then have to follow. (It sounded to me like a threat to the defense, like "if you go there, you'll be sorry" but in a legal way, as if to say don't you go playing games in my court.)

ETA: never mind, I just read the above post and it appears I zoned out and missed something significant about chain of custody...

 

[CarolinaMoon]

Something about teeth being etched and the head, chain of custody, etc. My sound is surging in and out and I missed the defense's objection to the teeth, or to the dentist, or something about the teeth--and then that led into the discussion about the head. One of the divers is on the way back to the airport but another is still there and can testified about the head.

I added to the post above yours! Check it out. It seems to be up to the moment.

 

[NCEast]

Something about teeth being etched and the head, chain of custody, etc. My sound is surging in and out and I missed the defense's objection to the teeth, or to the dentist, or something about the teeth--and then that led into the discussion about the head. One of the divers is on the way back to the airport but another is still there and can testified about the head.

quoting myself--the diver/detective who is there didn't see the head before it was wrapped in the sheet on the side of the creek. So they are trying to get the diver/detective on the way to the airport turned around to come back and testify that it is the same head pulled from the creek. Taking a Home Depot witness out of turn while waiting for the diver/detective to get back from airport.

 

[CarolinaMoon]

CM, I don't think so. I think the State is just being (perhaps overly?) meticulous in its case.

The judge said something yesterday like: "if the defense wants to question whether these are the remains of Laura Ackerson, then..." and then issued some protocol they would then have to follow. (It sounded to me like a threat to the defense, like "if you go there, you'll be sorry" but in a legal way, as if to say don't you go playing games in my court.)

ETA: never mind, I just read the above post and it appears I zoned out and missed something significant about chain of custody...

This judge does that all the time! I love the way he "guides" them where he wants them to go.

As I said, my sound came in and out a bit, but I do think the defense was seriously considering going there and he ruled the jury would end up seeing the pictures of the head.

This also happened with another witness. I think it was Heidi Shumacher, whose testimony I watched this AM. She wasn't permitted to give testimony about what GH threatened, but the defense did something that opened the door and instead of waiting for any sort of objection, on re-direct, he stated that she COULD be asked the questions he had previously ruled against.

 

[Boodles]

I LOVE this man from Home Depot. "Aisle 44, to be exact."