TX - Jonathan Foster, 12, Houston, 24 Dec 2010 - Mona Nelson charged with Murder - #9

[x_files]

I could imagine she might be that type of person because she has a truck. I used to pay my brother in law money to take things to the dump for me, but I promise, there was never a body mixed in with those things!

Either way, her story doesn't add up to me.

oh good, I hope not!

ok, I can see it being a legit favor or a chore, but why didn't she take it straight to the dump or a large dumpster on the apt complex grounds?
When I worked managing an apt complex they have large dumpsters on sight to dump stuff no need to drive miles away to throw anything in a ditch.

That's what is really odd to me and the fact they have footage of her dumping the body w/o a container speaks volumes to me. Thank God there's surveillance video or this might have been yet another unsolved murder.

 

[BeanE]

Question. Please refresh my memory so I don't have to go back and listen to that whole video of the detective again.

Have *only* family members been cleared? Do we have anything saying the roomie was cleared?

I'm having timeline problems...

ETA: Not accusing the roomie (or anyone else). I just think I need the door open for Nelson to have had company.

 

[jjenny]

During the press-conference LE flat out stated no one else was involved.

 

[Patty G]

Question. Please refresh my memory so I don't have to go back and listen to that whole video of the detective again.

Have *only* family members been cleared? Do we have anything saying the roomie was cleared?

I'm having timeline problems...

ETA: Not accusing the roomie (or anyone else). I just think I need the door open for Nelson to have had company.

From the presser:
"those others we put through under the microscope and interviewed them at length, documented every single second of their day; they weren't involved, she acted alone."

 

[amysmom]

I agree with your point. I also think it is important for them to attempt to determine the cause of death without sparing anyone, including the family. If she did something horrendous, she should pay for it. It shouldn't be sugar coated. I also feel uneasy when they say publicly that they "guess" it happened a certain way. It just makes me think about the trial and the field day her defense will be having with all of this.

By the time of trial I think (& hope) we'll see a very diff approach by the prosecution.

We may even get a hint in a few days (11/3) when M appears in court..Whether she does or doesn't depending on this "medical" excuse..Btw! What is the purpose of this next court date?

 

[jjenny]

Chilling indeed, I'll bet the judge will take that to the bank.

Is it possible that Mr Miller will be able to use that to convict her?

I have MN tied to the body, I have MN tied to the crime scene, I have MN tied to the disposal.
I appear to be missing the part that ties MN to the childs home after the 1.45pm check by SD, this could be a legal stumbling block.

If I visit a bank, 30 minutes before it is robbed, and you find the robbery loot in my house, that doesn't make me the robber. It DOES mean I can be found guilty of after the fact involvement. But the dude that planned and did the robbery (my mate McGrabber) is still at large and free to rob the next bank.

Listening to some of you, prosecutor has to have the whole crime on video tape or it's no go. Just yesterday I was watching a case where there was no body, no direct eyewitness testimony (no one saw the murder), defendant got on the stand and denied it, and the conviction on first degree murder was obtained anyway.

 

[Dear Prudence]

Not buying "I was too drunk" excuse/line. It's an excuse. Was she intoxicated when she returned to the apt? My guess is no. If you are so drunk you don't know you just dropped off a burned body randomly in a ditch then she would have been completely blacked out and would have been out cold.

I'm not buying it all either. Here's what she claims:

She said he paid her $20, and she didn't know what was inside because she was drunk on vodka.

She told us she randomly chose a ditch in northeast Houston because she said, "I was basically just drunk and driving and listening to music."

"I didn't know what was in it until they were showing me pictures in the interrogation room," Nelson said.
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7872780

She didn't just deny murdering Jonathan, she denied that she burned him, she denied even knowing it was a child's body she dumped. There is proof he was burned in her home, so if we're to believe her story, then does she expect us to believe someone used her house, her equipment to murder Jonathan and then attempted to clean up, then give the body to her to dispose? It's so ridiculous.

She said she had no idea what was in it (the imaginary container) until they showed her pictures. THEY SHOWED HER PICTURES of Jonathan's maimed, tortured and burned body and she showed no reaction, no remorse, her eyes were dead. That is not a normal reaction for someone unjustly accused to such horror.

 

[Patty G]

By the time of trial I think (& hope) we'll see a very diff approach by the prosecution.

We may even get a hint in a few days (11/3) when M appears in court..Whether she does or doesn't depending on this "medical" excuse..Btw! What is the purpose of this next court date?

IMO, she will go in front of the Judge, he/she will read the charges against her, the Judge will ask if she understands the charges, she'll put it her "guilty or not guilty" to the charges, perhaps ask for an attorney, etc., etc.

 

[BeanE]

From the presser:
"those others we put through under the microscope and interviewed them at length, documented every single second of their day; they weren't involved, she acted alone."

IIRC, just before that, the context, was that Nelson had accused others of being involved. I understood that the others she accused were relatives, so I would take the statement you quoted to mean relatives, no?

They 'believe' she acted alone. He also said if they come up with anything else, they'll pursue it. And the statements I can recall about clearing pertain to relatives.

See what I mean?

I'm confident the family is cleared. This lady is just such an odd duck, I don't know if she's more likely to have acted alone, or if she may like having a buddy, and the timeline has some glitches for me.

I don't know. I'm just noodlin'.

 

[Melanie]

I could imagine she might be that type of person because she has a truck. I used to pay my brother in law money to take things to the dump for me, but I promise, there was never a body mixed in with those things!

Either way, her story doesn't add up to me.

Doesn't add up for me either. If the remains were in the 3' range, a container could very easy fit into a trunk of, say a Mercedes? I'm not pointing fingers, but debunking her story. She should have said "hey, throw it in your car and take it to the dump".

I'm not buying her malarky a bit.

MOO

Mel

 

[Salem]

I want to commend you all for dissecting MN's statements. This type of sleuthing will help investigators and the prosecution understand and put into words why her story is unbelievable and help them gather the right evidence to prove the necessary elements of the law to ensure a strong conviction (if they are reading here).

Sometimes we know things are just wrong -but have a hard time vocalizing exactly why. This discussion helps with that process.

Salem

 

[impatientredhead]

Many folks have been charged for giving false information to LE.

In this case it might not have made a difference but they could have eliminated whatever small chance at discovery he had.

Parents are statistically the first suspect.
Start off with conflicting stories and lies and you guarantee they aren't going to start an outside search.

I have been wondering though about the conflicting stories.
Why lie about a twelve year old being home alone?
And if I got an emergency call from my house at work, which would be odd in and of itself, and when I called my own house a total stranger answered my phone and then hung up on me I don't know that I would find making a 25 minute ride home a reasonable solution.

Now add that my kid who should be home alone blew in an emergency call and a total stranger hung up me after answering my phone.......

it probably wouldn't have matter, but you are compounding the delays. Built in headstart now that they know you are coming home, then lie to the police so they think you are a flake who just got your kid back. The neighbors saw Mona, saw her truck, if things had gone slightly differntly maybe they would have gotten an Amber Alert.

The stepdad left right? Went home or back to family? I have to assume he is coming back for the funeral?
'

 

[amysmom]

I have MN tied to the body, I have MN tied to the crime scene, I have MN tied to the disposal.
I appear to be missing the part that ties MN to the childs home after the 1.45pm check by SD, this could be a legal stumbling block.

sbm

MN is def tied to the home after 1:45 from at least 1 witness & the phone call she answered at the residence around 2p from mom..I'm sure Mom's phone can provide the evidence the call was made but I don't believe 'answered' so that could be a problem..But even with the phone 'missing' can the phone co. confirm that it was? I don't know!

eta..No matter what it can't be proven WHO answered mom's call

 

[oceanblueeyes]

So if Mona abducted Jonathan around 2:00 pm and was seen disposing his body at 6:00 pm. then he had 4 long agonizing hours with this horrid woman.

I don't think she killed him right away. I think she bound and gagged him and taunted him then slowly tortured him.

IMO

 

[jjenny]

In this case it might not have made a difference but they could have eliminated whatever small chance at discovery he had.

Parents are statistically the first suspect.
Start off with conflicting stories and lies and you guarantee they aren't going to start an outside search.

I have been wondering though about the conflicting stories.
Why lie about a twelve year old being home alone?
And if I got an emergency call from my house at work, which would be odd in and of itself, and when I called my own house a total stranger answered my phone and then hung up on me I don't know that I would find making a 25 minute ride home a reasonable solution.

Now add that my kid who should be home alone blew in an emergency call and a total stranger hung up me after answering my phone.......

it probably wouldn't have matter, but you are compounding the delays. Built in headstart now that they know you are coming home, then lie to the police so they think you are a flake who just got your kid back. The neighbors saw Mona, saw her truck, if things had gone slightly differntly maybe they would have gotten an Amber Alert.

The stepdad left right? Went home or back to family? I have to assume he is coming back for the funeral?
'

I am going to guess the mother believed she could get in trouble with CPS if she admits the child was home alone. Even though since he is 12 that would not be the case but she likely did not know that. Regarding the phone calls, since she did live with a roommate, the fact that somebody was in the apartment might have been less alarming than if she lived there alone.

 

[Melanie]

I'm not buying it all either. Here's what she claims:

She said he paid her $20, and she didn't know what was inside because she was drunk on vodka.

She told us she randomly chose a ditch in northeast Houston because she said, "I was basically just drunk and driving and listening to music."

"I didn't know what was in it until they were showing me pictures in the interrogation room," Nelson said.
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7872780

She didn't just deny murdering Jonathan, she denied that she burned him, she denied even knowing it was a child's body she dumped. There is proof he was burned in her home, so if we're to believe her story, then does she expect us to believe someone used her house, her equipment to murder Jonathan and then attempted to clean up, then give the body to her to dispose? It's so ridiculous.

She said she had no idea what was in it (the imaginary container) until they showed her pictures. THEY SHOWED HER PICTURES of Jonathan's maimed, tortured and burned body and she showed no reaction, no remorse, her eyes were dead. That is not a normal reaction for someone unjustly accused to such horror.

BBM. OMG, can u imagine. She had NO reaction? I can only imagine what our response would be. I'd be on the floor out cold.

MOO

Mel

 

[Patty G]

IIRC, just before that, the context, was that Nelson had accused others of being involved. I understood that the others she accused were relatives, so I would take the statement you quoted to mean relatives, no?

They 'believe' she acted alone. He also said if they come up with anything else, they'll pursue it. And the statements I can recall about clearing pertain to relatives.

See what I mean?

I'm confident the family is cleared. This lady is just such an odd duck, I don't know if she's more likely to have acted alone, or if she may like having a buddy, and the timeline has some glitches for me.

I don't know. I'm just noodlin'.

I would have to "assume" those people are relatives, perhaps also the babysitter.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Doesn't add up for me either. If the remains were in the 3' range, a container could very easy fit into a trunk of, say a Mercedes? I'm not pointing fingers, but debunking her story. She should have said "hey, throw it in your car and take it to the dump".

I'm not buying her malarky a bit.

MOO

Mel

ITA!

And the police aren't buying her malarky either.

 

[BeanE]

Investigators said they found burned carpet and twine—similar to material that was found with the body—in Nelson’s home, as well as other physical evidence in a trash can.

They also found welding torches.

http://www.kvue.com/news/state/112724844.html


They also found in a trash can "very strong evidence thatsomething had taken place," detective Mike Miller said.

http://www.kfdm.com/news/houston-40798-police-boy.html

 

[amysmom]

So if Mona abducted Jonathan around 2:00 pm and was seen disposing his body at 6:00 pm. then he had 4 long agonizing hours with this horrid woman.

I don't think she killed him right away. I think she bound and gagged him and taunted him then slowly tortured him.

IMO

Add 'sexually assaulted' him which I do believe was the motive all along.

TG! I don't think we can honestly say "4" hours due to how long it had to take to 'torch' the body..Does anyone with such knowledge have at least an estimation? Then get him in the car & drive to the dump location..For all we know she didn't even go right to that spot but drove around thinking about a good place which she obviously ended up NOT doing.