Thank you
Gardener. Can't access the article, but does it say "who" was called for victim impact statements or what else happened?
TIA!
Good Guilty!!
Rest in Peace Crystal!
View attachment 188626
No they didn't report on victim impact statements and didn't say whether he was sentenced yet.
The rest of the article seems a bit disjointed and I had trouble understanding it. I think the writer was going back and forth between things that happened before and after the "Punishment Phase" (or else I need more coffee
). I'll try my best to summarize the rest:
Before confessing SM said he took time to get situated to “do the right thing.” SM said he wanted to talk to Mandy Avalos (Crystal's friend who has the children).
Lieck apparently showed SM a photo of Crystal's body again (from after it had been in the woods for 2 weeks).
(I'm not clear if the above happened before or after the Jury Verdict/Punishment Phase)
Next the article say that during the Punishment Phase Avalos was called to the stand. Avalos said she was still going to have to get SM to release custody of the children before she could get full custody, per Crystal McDowell’s wishes. DA Lieck made the point if SM was to get out of prison within 20 years, he would still have parental rights unless he released them.
Next the article has a quote with no attribution on who is speaking or when this happened Here is the quote:
“Yes,” he said, through a flood of tears. “I apologize for not saying I was sorry earlier, and I don’t expect them to forgive me because I cannot forgive myself.”
(I assume the above quote is Steven McDowell saying this in response to Avalos' request he sign a release for the children?
But it's unclear if he was back on the stand or just saying this from his seat while she was on the stand).
Next the article skips to SM's attorney Kirkwood saying that Crystal was SM's Princess, she wore many hats as a "mad hatter" (I have no idea what he means by that line). Kirkwood goes on to say that Crystal had many affairs and SM had never harmed her before for any of them. Kirkwood says SM has no violent history.
Next the article says DA Lieck spoke and refuted SM's testimony about hugging CM to death saying that was not his confession to police. She also reminded the jury of Charles Raven’s testimony, where he said Steven McDowell told him in March 2017, months before Crystal McDowell’s death, how he wanted to kill her and himself over alleged affairs. She also brought up Baytown police officer Jose Gonzalez’s testimony, where he said Crystal McDowell had come to him around the same time, saying Steven McDowell had threatened to kill her, himself and the kids and took off without saying where he was going.
Lieck recapped Avalos’ testimony about the daughter telling them them about a black dress shaking and how “evil spirits” took her mother. Lieck talked about Chambers County inmate, Easton Isaacks, who testified SM told him how he killed Crystal.
Then the article ends with the following quote (I'm assuming Lieck is referring back to the inmate who testified):
“What does he have to gain?” Lieck said. “(Steven McDowell) freaked him out by pretending to choke him as if it were a joke. He was a dope head, but knows nothing about murder. He said Steven was weird.”
