His testimony really is full of so many mental slips-ups/tells/consciousness of guilt. The one ringing in my head right now is - “I needed a story” when he was questioned on cross about faking the road side shooting. CW please use those words against him.
When he lies to first responders roadside, he doesn’t think law enforcement will find the incriminating facts that contradict his story (staging/running tires/no spare tire). This is exactly like when he lies to first responders on 6/7 - he wasn’t at kennels because he doesn’t know about the Bubba video until after he has given his statement.
So, now, on the stand, he has to explain why he has a pattern of instantaneous lying (“having a story”) to first responders at crime scenes with him and gunshot injuries/fatalities. And further that the lies aren’t for the purpose of sending law enforcement on a wild goose chase for ninjas, but rather have a perfectly understandable reason that he will explain to you in excruciating detail after digesting all evidence whilst sitting right up front in court like a good student.
Paraphrasing here -
CW: why did you lie to first responders at the roadside, going so far as to spend hours with a sketch artist, when you knew who really shot you?
AM: “I had to have a story”
CW: Uhm, why is that? At the time, you could have 1) come clean - I’m a mess, I’ve lost everything, I want to die, I couldn’t bring myself to do it myself; why go with I’m a victim of unknown assailants?
AM: But Mr. Waters, it was an excusable and understandable lie because - my god have you no sympathy - “I wanted to be DEAD (his voice inflection here was frightening) but I hired a hack of a hit man which I regret and have apologized for.”
What a strange thought process for an innocent person. “I was expecting to be dead, so I was unprepared to explain how I came to have a bullet in my head.”
Same nonsensical exploding-head emoji for why he lied on 6/7 about-being at the kennels before he knew about the video.
AM: But Mr. Waters, you don’t understand that at the thhayyyme, “I was distrustful about SLED targeting’ me, cause of Ro Ro, the boat case, capri suns, and all mah teal-hued Vinny Vines, so I had to lie to help law enforcement look for the ninjas insteada wastin’ time messin’ with me.”
The parallel bait and switch is a real head snapper.
Lies: (1) I wasn’t at the kennels trying to get a chicken; (2) I was shot by a stranger while changing my running tire.
Factual Grenades: (1) Bubba video; (2) insurance card, cousin Ed.
Justifications Under Oath: I lied, told stories, not to be evasive or mislead any investigation but because (1) I was distrustful/paranoid of SLED; (2) I didn’t want my cousin to go to jail for what I put him up to because of my pain and addiction.
Truly mind numbing - but the words “I needed a story” are so guilt-ridden IMO. Needing a story - means a version of events other than what happened and knowledge that the truth is an existential threat to yourself. Obfuscation. And, the way it popped out of his mouth so spontaneously, logically, matter-of-fact is one of those “partial truths”. He sure did need a story.
Finally, I think it’s a massive tell whenever he says Mr. Waters right before and/or after a lie. He makes the insinuation so personal to CW - kind of like AM trying to impeach the prosecutor. Scary, scary interworkings of this man’s psyche.
