Can "Cold Justice" Help Solve 33 Year Old Unsolved Homicide Of Joyce McLain?

Joyce McLain (sunjournal.com)

In Medford Maine, residents are still haunted by the unsolved homicide of 16 year old Joyce McLain, who was beaten to death on August 8, 1980. McLain was a sophomore at Schenck High School in East Millinocket.  She was last seen jogging in her neighborhood - her badly beaten body was found on school grounds.  There are reportedly a dozen suspects in this case, but no arrest has ever been made. The murder shook up the residents of this small town.  Patrick Day went to school with Joyce McLain, he was a freshman at the time of her murder. Day took the initiative and went to Joyce's mother Pamela McLain with the idea of trying to get the "Cold Justice" team to re-open her daughter's unsolved case.  She was receptive to the idea. Day is now 49 years old and recovering from throat cancer. He told the sunjournal.com how the McLain murder changed his town. Petitions have been signed by residents in an attempt to get the FBI involved in the case have not yielded much results.

Public safety spokesman Steve McCausland says the McLain investigation is still open, and while the FBI has helped on the case in the past it cannot take over the investigation because no federal laws were broken. The FBI says that despite the petitions, the case can only be directed by state investigators.

District Attorney General William Stokes confirmed his office and state police are considering getting Kelly Siegler and Yolanda McCleary's help. State police have reportedly completed online applications for "Cold Justice" and are waiting for final approval from supervisors before submitting the application to TNT's producers.  Law enforcement officials want a better understanding of how the show works before deciding whether to apply. Among their questions: Will Siegler and McClary seek total access to the case? (I would think that's an obvious YES) What impact might that have on maintaining the chain of evidence as the law requires? 

Day says Maine State Police Senior Investigator Darryl Peary, described as the primary investigator on McLain's case seemed receptive to the idea of involving Siegler and McClary. However, Peary's supervisor Sgt. Troy Gardner was "less enthusiastic".  Are state investigators fearful that their original investigation would be called into question or scrutinized publicly in front of a television audience? I don't see any downside to getting outside help in a 33 year old cold case. Seems to me that they have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. 

Of course there is no guarantee that "Cold Justice" would agree to examine the case, should they decide to apply.  Nor are there any guarantees that "Cold Justice" would uncover anything new.  The McLain case was previously featured on "Unsolved Mysteries", with no real results. Isn't it worth a try? I say submit the application and see where this takes you.  This was a 16 year old high school sophomore, beaten to death and left on school grounds. Somebody has walked the streets unpunished for 33 long years. Submit the application, for the family - and for the community! Politics should not have a place in decisions such as this.  

Ronnie Hendricks Sentenced to 22 Years

CASE UPDATE: chalk one up for the good guys - or in this case the good gals! 
Following the "Cold Justice" team's investigation into the shooting death of Cuero Texas resident Pamela Shelly, previously ruled a suicide - Ronnie Joe Hendricks plead guilty to the 2001 murder and was recently sentenced to a 22 years in prison.  I truly believe that if it hadn't been for the efforts of Kelly Siegler, Yolanda McClary and Johnny Bonds - along with the local Cuero officer who never bought the suicide theory and never forgot about Pamela.  Pamela Shelly had loaded all of her belongings onto a trailer and was 15 minutes away from pulling out and leaving Hendricks for Arkansas when she reportedly "killed herself". Who does that? Shelly's family insisted she never would have done that to her two small children. She was leaving an abusive relationship with Hendricks, always the most dangerous time for a woman in domestic violence situations.

In Esipose 3, airing next Tuesday - the team travels to Siegler's home town to look at a complicated cold case. Siegler gets to visit with her father who still lives in the same small town. 

Another Delay In The Jodi Arias Trial - Judge Stephens Moves Back Status Hearing

It really should be no surprise that Judge Sherry Stephens announced today that the September 16, 2013 status hearing in the Jodi Arias Saga will be moved back to October 4, 2013.  Stephens announced the move largely because she is not prepared to rule on several outstanding motions filed by Arias' attorneys Kirk Nurmi and Jennifer Willmott.  I certainly hope additional time will allow her to come into the court room on the 4th ready to rule and get a date on the court's calendar to begin the jury selection. I don't get these delays, as the issues she has to consider have been known for some time now - I know this isn't the only case on her calendar, but these delays have become far too common place and if I were a betting woman, it looks like Nurmi & Willmott may end up getting their wish for a January 2014 start date.

Judge Sherry Stephens, CBS 5 News

Jodi Arias, CBS 5 News

Not that I'm counting, but this is the third time a status hearing in the penalty retrial has been postponed. If I'm not mistaken, the prosecution still has to respond to these motions and make his arguments. It's beginning to feel like "Groundhog Day" - if October 4th roles around and we hear the intro to Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe" playing in the courtroom I wouldn't be shocked.

Juan Martinez has been ready and eager to set a retrial date since the mistrial was declared.  Remember way back when Judge Stephens told both sides to prepare for a start date of September? They aren't even close.  Who knows how long jury selection will take, or when it will begin. They still have to determine where the trial will be held, if the jurors will be sequestered, if cameras will be allowed in the courtroom and if the jurors will have to disclose any Twitter accounts.  Did I leave anything out? You know a trial has been going on for too long when you can recite the pending motions off the top of your head.  Looks like Nurmi/Willmott's stall tactics have worked. I'd be surprised at this point if this thing kicks off before the new year.  So must for swift justice.

What Really Happened To Caylee Anthony?

It's been more than 2 years since a Florida jury acquitted Casey Anthony for the murder of her daughter Caylee.  The trial was often referred to as "The Social Media Trial of The Century", in part because Florida's Sunshine Law allowed the public access to so much information, and the nation seemed to fall in love with the little girl who was found discarded in the woods.

This case was one of the most widely followed and debated trials on record, perhaps even more than the Jodi Arias trial.  Last November, Fox News Insider published an article that cited a key piece of evidence the prosecution failed to bring up at trial - would it have made a difference in the outcome? The evidence was a computer search on the Anthony's home computer on "foolproof suffocation methods", reportedly made on the last day Caylee Anthony was seen alive.  Anthony's defense team was aware of the search evidence but wasn't obligated to bring it up at trial, and reportedly was shocked when the prosecution didn't present the evidence. 

So what really happened to Caylee, will we ever know the truth?  Casey Anthony is the only person who knows what really happened, and I don't think she will ever reveal the details.  Once voted the most hated woman in America, Casey Anthony has remained out of the public's eye for the most part since her dramatic release from jail was televised.  Her few public appearances have been related to her bankruptcy filing. In January, Anthony filed for bankruptcy claiming she had no assets and was more than $700,000 in debt. 

Since the dramatic conclusion to the trial, Judge Belvin Perry Jr. has publicly discussed his surprise at the verdict. He believed there was enough evidence to convict Anthony, although the case was circumstantial in nature. Ultimately, the state may have discounted the appeal of Anthony's inexperienced attorney Jose Baez.  Prosecutors Jeff Ashton and Linda Drake Burdick appeared to have the upper hand going against the unknown Baez, and I think Ashton made a monumental mistake in appearing to laugh at him at points during the trial. It's the David vs Goliath thing. Not to say Ashton isn't a great prosecutor, and the two did an excellent job in presenting this case and explaining the scientific evidence - but the jury seemed to want more than science, they wanted to know how Caylee was murdered and perhaps more importantly IF she was murdered.

This is where the state fell short. Little Caylee's remains were found in such poor condition, the medical examiner was unable to tell that story. Still, the evidence was compelling. The duct tape that remained on the skull of Caylee Anthony should have pointed to a murder, or at the very least a highly suspicious death. The second highly suspicious thing the jury should have focused on is why wouldn't a mother report her 2 year old daughter as missing? Who does that? Who would be able to go on with their life, dodging family members and putting people off while continuing seeing their friends and carrying on a romantic relationship? That is highly suspicious in itself.  The third point that should have tied this together was the smell in Casey's abandoned car.  Who leaves their car, their only form of transportation in a parking lot where it can be towed away?  Even days later, numerous people reported the car smelled like death.  Another red flag was when raised when a neighbor of the Anthony's told law enforcement that Casey asked to borrow a shovel in the days following the disappearance of Caylee, before anybody even knew she was missing. Why did she need a shovel?  Didn't her own family have one?  When Caylee's scattered remains were finally found, the same clothes she was wearing the last time the Anthony's saw her leave the house with Casey were nearby. A reasonable person would come to the conclusion that she died within a short time of leaving the Anthony's home. This seems to fly in the face of Baez's defense that Caylee died in a drowning accident - depending on who you believe, George or Casey Anthony. Circumstantial, yes - but the sum of all circumstantial pieces provides a compelling case for foul play.

Did Caylee die accidentally while in the care of her mother? Did she panic, then concoct the kidnapping story, wrapping duct tape around Caylee's mouth to make it look like a kidnapping to whoever found her?  Prosecutor Jeff Ashton was unable to say for sure whether the duct tape was placed on Caylee's mouth and nose before or after she died.  To me, does that really matter all that much? Like the medical examiner said, there is no reason for a child to have duct tape on her face. No reason, dead or alive. I personally have always believed the duct tape was an amateur attempt at staging the victim or crime scene to make it appear to be something other than what it was. That's what we are used to seeing on television right? When people are kidnapped, they often times have their hands, feet or both bound behind them and have duct tape, blindfolds or both.

Did the jury have unreasonable ideas about what "beyond a reasonable doubt" meant? Looking at another high profile murder case in which there was little direct evidence, including a cause of death are the murders of Laci and Conner Peterson.  The condition of their bodies prevented the medical examiner from being able to determine the cause of death. Prosecutors in that case had little physical evidence to present to the jury, but they did have some strong circumstantial evidence that told a story.  I'd say Scott Peterson was convicted with less evidence than used in many trials.  The California jury that convicted Peterson saw the totality of all of the pieces of evidence, including the behavior of Laci's husband Scott before, during and after her disappearance.  I'm sure they had some doubts during their deliberations, but they seemed to grasp what reasonable doubt was.

There have been many theories about what happened to Caylee Anthony, including the theory presented by Jose Baez at trial that Caylee died from an accidental drowning in the family's back yard pool.  Baez managed to key in on social media and what people were saying about Casey's father George and they used that information to their own advantage at trial.  I thought George Anthony was a very believable witness. He seemed to be completely distraught over the disappearance of Caylee, and his frustration with his daughter during the jailhouse visits was obvious.  But some people viewed George as combative - the Anthony's had people camped out on their front yard for weeks, I wouldn't blame anybody for getting irritated and frustrated with that type of activity. I think George was just another victim in the trial, sacrificed for the sake of his daughter. Does anybody believe George Anthony ever abused Casey sexually? I was just as outraged at Baez's opening statements where he made those allegations as I was when Jodi Arias accused Travis Alexander of being a pedophile. These are desperate ploys by manipulative women who use hot button issues to gain sympathy with the jury.

Casey's lies to investigators in this case should have been another huge red flag to the jury.  If I were on the jury, it would have been difficult for me to get past the fact that she didn't report Caylee missing - and she lied about having a job and going as far as leaving for work every day, the smell of death in her car, and the biggest whopper of all lies: the fictional nanny "Zanny". It's hard to believe she created this fictitious character, gave details of Zanny's life to her friends and family and nobody ever caught on. How does that happen? Were the Anthony's too busy in their own lives to have wondered why they never EVER saw a photo of Zanny, or ever talked to her on the telephone? Or did they simply trust their daughter? There were so many red flags with the tales Anthony told. But Casey doesn't look like what we have come to expect a killer to look like.  Even after her lies were exposed, people had doubts that a mother could kill her daughter.  Casey wisely kept quiet after she was arrested. No media interviews, she didn't draw unwanted attention to herself. She had already been exposed as a liar, and many believed strongly that she was a killer.


This case shook Orlando in a big way.  The trial was unlike anything we have seen since the OJ Simpson trial, and I'll never forget the footage of people running and pushing and shoving other people to get the highly coveted public seats in the courtroom. If you think a defendant can't get a fair trial with cameras in the courtroom and media coverage, you may want to check out the Casey Anthony trial.  It's not the coverage, it's the case. While we may never know the truth behind Caylee's disappearance or how she ended up discarded in the woods near her grandparents home, I can't think of a single reasonable explanation for a mother not reporting her 2 year old child as missing. That in itself should be a felony in every state in America, and I was surprised to learn that it wasn't.  Many states have proposed bills that would change current law, making it a felony for a parent or legal guardian to fail to report a missing child, in cases where the parent knew or should have known the child was possibly in danger. Unofficially dubbed "Caylee's Law", the idea for the bill began with protesters who disagreed with the jury's verdict of not guilty on all major charges.

One petition, authored by Michelle Crowder on Change.org gathered more than 1,261,130 electronic signatures (as of 7/19/11). As a result of these grass root movements, legislators in Florida, Oklahoma, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia began drafting versions of Caylee's Law.  Laws have already been enacted in several states, the potential punishments vary by state. For example, Bill SB1 was approved in Alabama on June 10, 2013 making failure to report a child missing a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, yet Florida Bill HB37 sets punishment at up to 5 years in prison. Regardless, this is an excellent example of how people can ban together and enact positive change in their communities. There is strength in numbers. I can't tell you how many petitions I've signed on Change.org.

So what's happening in the lives of George and Cindy, and brother Lee Anthony in the years since their lives were turned upside down with the death of their beloved Caylee? The Anthony's made news when they reportedly had a yard sale, selling some of Caylee's toys and other belongings. On July 26, 2013 radaronline reported that a woman named Christina Werner filed a police report alleging she was assaulted by Cindy Anthony when she drove by the yard sale and yelled something out of her car window and a "scuffle" ensued. Werner reportedly said "I can't believe you are selling Caylee's belongings", a statement Cindy Anthony did not appreciate. According to radaronline Werner videotaped her experience at the Anthony's June 28 yard sale, where she purchased items believed to be Caylee's and Casey's. Werner said during the interview "I simply will never understand how these grandparents can put a price tag on Caylee's items. I can understand Casey's things, but I will never understand how they could part with these things".

I don't think it was appropriate for this woman to be videotaping anything at the Anthony's yard sale - seems to me, she was exploiting the situation since she was interviewed at least twice by radaronline.  The Anthony's have been to hell and back, and whether you like them, or approve of the way they handled the worst thing that could happen to a family they don't deserve to remain under the public spotlight years later. Let them live their lives without judgement. They lost their Caylee, and who knows if they have any type of relationship with Casey now. Wesh.com reported that Cindy and George are considering filing a lawsuit against Werner for videotaping their yard sale.  So the battles continue. 

Cindy and George are said to be setting up another foundation in memory of Caylee, according to www.issues.com.  Called "Caylee's Fund", the foundation lists three main objectives: 

1)  Grandparents rights
2)  Helping missing and exploited children
3)  Lobbying for Caylee's Law

Many of you (myself included) may be saying WAIT A MINUTE....remembering what happened with the Anthony's FIRST charitable foundation in Caylee's memory, "cayleemarieanthonyfoundation.net", where they reportedly used 80% of the charitable donations for "administrative expenses". That raises the "WTF" factor in a big way, as little of the money donated was actually found to be used for the purpose of helping any victim. The foundation account was eventually closed, and it was widely believed that the fund was being used to pay Cindy and George's expenses via salaries. And let's not forget that the same person ("SJ") who is running a website for Jodi Arias ran a website for Casey Anthony that is an exact replica of the newer Arias website.  I really hate that there are snakes out there who would exploit the public, accepting donations for a good cause that end up being used for something else altogether. Many regard "SJ" as nothing more than an opportunist, a scammer and somebody who creates false positive postings on these websites to make it appear that Arias and Anthony had supporters.

The Caylee Marie Anthony Foundation's "Statement of Revenue" from 12/31/2009 says it all:

Total Revenue:  $2,580.72
Total Expenses:  $3,107.49
Surplus/Deficit:  -$526.77

Program Service Expenses:  $630.25
Administrative Expenses:  $2,477.24
Fund Raising Expenses:  $0.00

Cindy and George plan on drawing salaries on the new foundation as well. They claim they have been unable to find employment due to their notoriety. Hmmm. I can see how the Anthony's notoriety may effect employment opportunities, but they both have marketable skills and had professional careers before Caylee's disappearance and murder turned their lives upside down. The Polly Klaas Foundation is a shining example of how a charitable foundation should be run and handled.  Mark Klaas has been a huge presence and strong voice for the plight of missing and exploited children. The Anthony's should follow suit if they want to be successful this time around.

While some people out there continue to lash out at Cindy and George Anthony, accusing them of helping Casey dodge the murder charge - I truly believe they wanted justice for Caylee, and they seemed just as shocked by the verdict as the public was. Just my opinion, please don't bash me for stating it. It was my belief that George Anthony in particular believed Casey was responsible for what happened to Caylee, and he seemed particularly distraught and torn apart by what happened to his entire family. The defense tore him apart, using his depression and suicide attempt against him. Way to exploit the misery of a grieving grandfather Mr. Baez.  Whatever you need to say to get your client acquitted. I wonder if Jose Baez truly believes that Casey is completely innocent, or if he was just doing what defense attorneys do - get a favorable verdict, at whatever cost - George Anthony's reputation was the cost. Makes me wonder how some of these defense attorneys sleep at night?

Arias Attorneys Pressing For Sequestered Jury In Retrial

This is not anything new being reported by kpopstarz.com, but they confirmed yesterday that attorneys Kirk Nurmi and Jennifer Willmott are pushing hard to get the new jury sequestered for Jodi Arias' penalty phase re trial.  The lawyers are asking Judge Stephens to shield the jury from the intense publicity surrounding the first trial.  The motion filed by Nurmi cites thousands of television news shows and news articles about Jodi Arias throughout the trial. Did Nurmi cite Jodi's self-initiated interviews, including the one that famously was given minutes after her guilty verdict?  Hmmmm.....

The motion also makes mention of the 3.1 viewers who tuned in to Lifetime's "Dirty Little Secret: The Jodi Arias Story.  Attorneys for Arias fear the second trial will be just as sensational and interfere with her ability to get a fair trial.  If I were Judge Stephens, I would just feel a need to call Nurmi and Willmott on their media allegations and question the effect Arias' own actions have had on her ability to get a fair trial. She seemed to bask in the limelight, oblivous to the fact that so many people believe that she perjured herself on the witness stand, completely fabricated the claims that Travis Alexander was a pedophile and exaggerated greatly or lied altogether about the abuse.

If you are going to point fingers at the media, I really feel strongly that Arias played a big role in making sure the media remained interested in her story! Arias' attorney wrote "This integrity is in the most danger of being compromised when the process is contaminated by outside influences. Given what took place during the last trial and the propensity for history to repeat itself, it is certainly beyond legitimate dispute that the threat to the integrity of the retrial is severe". Also at issue is where the retrial will be held. Attorneys for Arias have filed a motion for a change of venue, in addition to a motion to compel the seated jurors to disclose Twitter account information. Who is going to be charged with monitoring juror Twitter accounts?  While they are at it, Ms. Arias has a little disclosing to do as well.....

With the next status hearing approaching next week, we should be hearing the prosecution's response to these motions. How long will Judge Stephens take to rule on the remaining issues?  How long will it take before a new jury is seated? There seems to be a lot of work remaining before this thing gets going again.  There's the matter of jury questionnaires, individual voir dire? I'm sure they will battle tooth and nail over every last detail - they may actually get their January 2014 start date, as they originally requested. Stall, stall, file a motion - stall, have a hearing where nothing is resolved and set a new date for a status hearing.  This is our justice system?  Please tell me this will end at some point. The jury decided Arias killed Alexander, it was premeditated and committed in a cruel, heinous and depraved manner. Yet they were split on a life sentence or death.  

Yet in the same county a former death row inmate walked free on $350,000 bond recently - after being found guilty and sentenced to death for her alleged role in the execution style shooting death of her young son. Of course, I'm speaking of Debra Milke - one of 3 women who were on Arizona's death row. Milke's conviction was thrown out after she was imprisoned for nearly 25 years. Milke has always denied having anything to do with the murder of her son, yet she was convicted in part due to testimony from Detective Armando Saldate.  Saldate had a less than stellar conduct record and says Milke confessed to him. There was no audio or video recording of the interrogation or the confession - rather, the jury had to rely on the word of a law enforcement official who they more than likely believed. His testimony undoubtedly held a lot of weight with the jury that convicted Milke.  Two other men were found guilty of the actual shooting of the child, however the state's theory was that Milke had her son killed to collect on a $5,000 insurance policy, and because the child was an inconvenience to her. 

Sounds like a very circumstantial case here,yet she was convicted and sentenced to death for her alleged role. It goes to show how different the outcomes can be when it comes to murder trials. 

Regardless of whether you believe Milke was involved in this tragic murder, it appears she did not get a fair trial. The jurors were not given the benefit of knowing the officer's questionable conduct record. This is something that may have given them pause to consider whether the alleged confession ever happened, or if this was an over zealous detective who railroaded Milke onto death row.  Milke has asked that Saldate's testimony be disallowed at her retrial, and she still professes her innocence and says she never confessed to Saldate or anybody else.  Her next court date is slated for September 23rd.

"Cold Justice" Looks Like The Real Deal

It's no secret I have been looking forward to TNT's new reality crime series, "Cold Justice". I really admire former prosecutor Kelly Siegler and that initially drew me to the show, but now that I've seen two full episodes, it really appears Kelly Siegler, Yolanda McClary and Johnnie Bonds can make an impact and bring closure to some of these long suffering crime victims.

In episode 2, Siegler and McClary traveled to Collingston Louisiana - I believe they said the population there was less than 400 people. That's definitely small town USA.  They wanted to look into the August 26, 2006 unsolved murder of 67 year old Mattie Williams. Williams was a mother of thirteen children, and she now has such a large extended family that Siegler and the team had to meet with them in a local church.  It was sad to see how many people this crime effected, and how they are haunted to this day that her killer has gone unpunished.

By all appearances, Mattie Williams lived a modest life and was a well liked church going woman who was known to help people in need.  Her murder looks like a robbery gone very bad, her blood was found in certain areas of her small home but larger smears of her blood was found on the outside of her home. The blood outside her house caused a concerned friend to contact the police back in 2006.  Inside the home, Mattie's purse was found on the floor, turned inside out and signs of a struggle were obvious. Her body was found 3 miles away, she died from stab wounds to her neck and she was hit on the head with an object that left a distinctive mark on her head. Another key piece of evidence recovered from the inside of Mattie Williams house was a pay stub belonging to Renwick Jackson.

Siegler, McClary and former detective Johnnie Bonds went back to the crime scene after reviewing the case file thoroughly, and they came up with what they believed was the most likely scenario of how this crime unfolded.  During their meeting with the family, they were told that Mattie would not open her door to someone she did not know.  There were several persons of interest in this case, one of which was one of Mattie's own sons. Family members appeared conflicted or split on whether they believed their brother could have been involved in a robbery plot - but they found it difficult to think that he could stand by as his mother was being assaulted.  Stealing is one thing, assault and murder are another. 

One thing they decided after visiting the home and the area where Mattie's body was eventually found - Mattie Williams was most likely alive when she was taken from her home.  The slashes to her neck tell a story. Had she been stabbed in the neck in her home, there would have been distinctive blood evidence in or around her home.  Rather, there was blood pooling found where her body was dumped which seems to point to Mattie being assaulted in her home, taken by force to the remote location and then she was fatally stabbed and died in the field where they found her. How could something like this happen to a decent, good hearted, church going mother?  Who could be so desperate to steal whatever little money Mattie may have had in her purse or in her house and then kill her?

It seems likely she was killed because she knew the man or men who were robbing her and they feared being identified.  I can think of no other reason. An early suspect in this investigation was a 52 year old man named Renwick Jackson. He reportedly lived across the railroad tracks from Mattie Williams, and she knew him and may have opened the door to him, although family members were split on this issue. Mattie reportedly didn't trust Renwick Jackson. Jackson was an early suspect for numerous reasons - a pay stub with Renwick Jackson's name on it was found in the home of Mattie Williams. Witnesses reported seeing Renwick Jackson and Stanley Mitchell together in the neighborhood the day of the killing. That could be explained away since Renwick lived nearby.

Suspicions were raised when it was discovered that Renwick Jackson power washed the inside of the car he was known to drive at the time of this murder. Renwick's own sister told law enforcement that she thought it was highly unusual and suspicious when he asked her to help clean the car. She told police Renwick "wildly" power washed the entire interior of that car, including the ceiling. Renwick told her, and later the police that he cleaned the car because his employer had asked him to. However, when Johnnie Bonds re interviewed Renwick's employer he denied ever asking him to clean his car and denied having ever been in Renwick's car.

Williams told investigators he was working on the day of the murder. His employers records show that Renwick was not working on any project for the company on the day in question, he was a salaried employee and they hadn't given him any assignments on that day. It would take more than 2 lies to catch Renwick Jackson. Stanley Mitchell was another early suspect in the investigation. Mitchell was a friend of Williams, as was Mattie's son John Williams.  Johnny Bonds and another detective known to be a master interrogator re interviewed Mitchell and Renwick.  A big break in this case came when a jailhouse informant provided a tip that Stanley Mitchell had told him he was involved in the robbery and murder. Mitchell told the inmate that he hit Mattie on the head with a brick he found on the side of Mattie's home. Siegler, McClary and Bonds revisited the crime scene photos and they got a big break when an oddly shaped brick was seen in the photos. Could this be "the brick"?

The team went back to Mattie's house to look for overlooked evidence, in particular they wanted to see if that brick shown in crime scene photos was still there. To their surprise, they found a brick that looked an awful lot like the brick in the photos. They collected it and sent it to the crime lab for analysis.  Could an overlooked brick left out in the elements for 7 years yield any DNA, fingerprints or other blood evidence? It was a long shot. McClary took the brick, and acting on a hunch she traced parts of the brick to see if she could match it up to that distinctive mark that was left on Mattie's head. Using a pencil and a sheet of paper, she made a crude tracing and the results were shocking. It looked an awful lot like the mark on Mattie's head. The team decided to write up their findings and take it to the DA to see if they had enough probable cause to arrest the pair. The DA didn't believe it was enough, and he asked them to keep working.

This is where the interrogations played a key role in breaking the case wide open.  Johnnie Bonds and former detective Armando Perez brought in Stanley Mitchell for another (voluntary) interview, Mitchell gave up nothing. He never implicated himself, and when Bonds and Perez confronted him with the statements made by the confidential (jailhouse) informant, Mitchell downplayed it. They then showed him photos of the brick and told him they had recovered that same brick and sent it to the crime lab. Mitchell insisted his fingerprints or DNA would not be found on the brick. Did he use gloves?

Bonds and Perez had one last shot at getting some type of admission when they invited Renwick Jackson in for an interview. Renwick came in voluntarily, and they needed to tread lightly since Renwick was free to leave at any time. They confronted Renwick with his whereabouts on the day of the crime and asked him why he power washed the interior of his car. Renwick continued telling the same story he had originally told investigators, that he cleaned his car after his boss asked him why he didn't keep it cleaner, and his alibi was that he was at work on the day in question.  Johnnie Bonds told him he suspected he was not being truthful, and told him about the conversation he had with his employer and his own sister. Bonds stuck to his story. It seemed he would not implicate himself - Bonds stepped out of the room for a moment and consulted with the team, who were watching the interview from another room via video feed.  Armando Perez wanted a shot at Renwick Jackson. His role was of the good cop. He tried to befriend Renwick, attempting to minimize his possible involvement in the crime and the murder.

His strategy worked.  After discussing their suspicions about Stanley Mitchell, including the statements provided by the jailhouse informant with Renwick Jackson, Jackson finally admitted something he had never admitted during any prior interview with the police. He admitted he was there at the crime scene. He placed himself outside of the house, almost to the point where he was in his car, but he described the role John Williams allegedly played in the robbery ploy that ended in murder. Williams knocked on his mother's door, she answered the door but didn't initially let him in. Mattie asked "who's out there with you"? At some point, Mitchell strong armed his way into the house and hit Mattie on the head with the brick. Jackson described things that were being said inside the house at the time of the chaotic assault - two things were becoming clear to the investigators. Number one: Renwick Jackson could not have seen or heard the things he reported had he been near or inside of his car. It's just not possible. He was closer to the home, he may have even been inside the house and possibly was involved in the assault.  Number two: John Williams was there, and he played some part in the robbery - even if he didn't participate in the actual assault or murder - he was involved.  That will be a hard pill for the family to swallow. 

Renwick Jackson admitted to Armando Perez that Mattie Williams was forced into his car.  The detectives had managed to get Jackson to place three people at Mattie's house, participating in the robbery in varying degrees.  His admissions were relayed to the District Attorney while Jackson was still at the police station.  The DA now agreed they had enough probably cause to arrest Renwick Jackson. He was arrested on the spot. This was an incredible thing to watch - prior to their involvement in the cold case, local law enforcement only had their suspicions about the involvement of Mattie Williams son John Williams.  This was the first statement ever given to law enforcement that Williams was there. It makes sense - it fits. It seems unlikely that Mattie would have opened the door to Renwick Jackson OR Stanley Mitchell.  But it appears she opened it for her son, which turned out to be a fatal mistake.

A news story reported on July 2, 2013 announced the three had been indicted on second degree murder. They face mandatory life sentences if convicted. The story does not state if they are being charged with robbery and/or kidnapping, but it seems they should be given they appeared to have taken Williams from her home injured but she was alive. How very sad. How much could they have possibly gained monetarily by robbing this loving mother and friend of the community? It just all seems so senseless.  I honestly think this team is in this for all of the right reasons. Not for television fame or fortune, but for the victims. Kudos to Siegler, McClary, Bonds and Perez. Well done, TNT. Cold Justice seems to be the real deal.

Gender Bias And The Death Penalty - Debra Milke Out On Bond

Regardless of where you stand on capital punishment, many states in America still have the death penalty.  The most staggering of statistics is where female offenders are concerned.  While many people stand firmly for or against the death penalty, the lines seem to blur when it comes to sentencing a woman to death.  Men overwhelmingly make up the majority of those on death row today.  It stands to reason that statistics show that violent crimes including rape and murder are more often committed by men.  However, there are women who commit horrendous crimes - the difference in viewing their crimes and the reasons behind the crimes is where the gender inequality seems to begin.

Women have fought for equal rights in this country for decades, however when it comes to murder all things do not seem equal. In the United States, only 13 women have been executed in the last 40 years.  Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center said "there is less enforcement of the death penalty at almost every stage for females".  A recent Wall Street Journal analysis found that between 2000-2010, less than 10% of all murders in the United States were committed by women, yet women make up around 1.87% of the death row population. Fewer women are executed than their male counterparts.

A recent Business Insider report claims that 40 women have received the death penalty in America, only 13 since 1976 - according to the Death Penalty Information Center. 1,343 have faced execution since then. The most common murder committed by females seems to be the killing of an intimate partner. Since the ratio of murders committed by women is so much lower than those committed by men, there may be a tendency for jurors to believe a woman who kills her husband or intimate partner must have done so for a reason. With the increased awareness of domestic violence in America, the battered woman defense has become commonplace in the courtroom. If jurors believe a woman killed her partner because of abuse, they may believe the incident is isolated and they would not likely re-offend - thus, some women are shown leniency and are not sentenced to death.

Looking at all female murderers in the same light would be a very dangerous position to take. Women are just as capable of violent and horrendous crimes as men are, given it occurs at a much lower frequency than with men.  That doesn't mean these women aren't dangerous. In 1984, Velma Barfield became the first woman to be executed in 22 years in North Carolina. An admitted drug addict, Barfield was sentenced to death for poisoning her husband so he wouldn't find out she had forged a check for $300.00.  One could look at Barfield's drug addiction and factor that into the murder, in this case that would be a mistake. Barfield later admitted to killing 3 other people, including her own mother. 

Women who kill their partners, husbands or ex husbands seems to be the most common of all female involved murders. Some female killers actually garner sympathy from the public after their stories of philandering husbands becomes known. Think Betty Broderick.  I certainly understand that Broderick may have felt helpless and humiliated after husband Dan left her and married a younger woman. Broderick entered the house of her ex husband and his new wife and shot them both as they slept in their bed, yet she found sympathy and support during her trial. She was convicted on two counts of second degree murder and sentenced to 32 years to life.  How did Broderick escape a first degree murder conviction? She may have felt slighted by her ex husbands advantage in their nasty divorce proceedings because he was a well known attorney, but there was evidence that she stalked him, left threatening messages on the couples' answering machine and generally harassed him before entering their house using her children's key and shot two defenseless people as they slept in their own bed. Murder is not a remedy for an unfair divorce settlement.  Broderick remains in prison, having been denied parole in 2011. Broderick is another woman who sought to use the media to gain advantage in the public eye and shame her deceased ex husband.  She's still angry, and I really don't think to this day she believes she did anything fundamentally wrong.  

Susan Smith is another woman who many believe deserved the death penalty for the drowning deaths of her two small sons, Michael and Alex. The Smith case is well known because the nature of the crime shocked the nation and she originally blamed the crime on a black man. After lying to police and the public about this black man who stole her car with the children inside, Smith played it up to the media, pleading for the return of her children.  When it came to light that Smith killed her children because her current love interest did not want children, people were enraged. Smith drove her car to the edge of a South Carolina lake, got out and watched the car go into the water with her two boys strapped in their car seats. At trial, Smith dodged a death sentence and instead received a 30 year sentence. 


Female murderers sometimes escape the death penalty by plea deals.  That brings me to the most recent and perhaps the most widely followed capital murder trial in recent years, Arizona v. Jodi Arias. Arias hoped to avoid a trial altogether, she claims. It has been reported that early on, Arias wanted to plead guilty to second degree murder in exchange for a short prison sentence. State prosecutors said "no thanks".  The murder of 30 year old Travis Alexander was one of the most brutal killings to occur in Maricopa County. It shocked an entire community, the state and then the country and perhaps the world. It was a murder that certainly warrants the consideration of the death penalty in that it was extremely cruel, heinous and depraved.  When a person is stabbed more than 2 dozen times, shot in the head and has his throat slashed - it's extremely rageful and personal. No doubt about it, she wanted him dead. She watched him struggle for life. Evidence presented at trial shows that she followed him from the bathroom where the attack began to the bedroom, where he tried in vain to escape her wrath.

She had many chances to stop what she was doing and call for help. Prosecutors believe the killing took less than 3 minutes from start to finish, but there was time from the first swing of that knife for her to stop. She would've been in big legal trouble for assault, but he would have stood a chance of living. She could not or did not want to stop herself.  The jury in this case correctly convicted her of first degree murder, but could not agree on the sentencing.  Would they have had such a difficult time if the roles were reversed, and Travis had done this to Jodi?  I'm not so sure this trial would still be ongoing if this were the case.

The fact that Arias lied about the crucial facts in this case didn't sway the jury enough to give her a death sentence.  I'm not sure what else the prosecutor could have done to convince the jury this murder warrants the death penalty - and I truly believe this is a case of gender bias.  That jury knew the death was horrific, they saw those graphic photos. The jury seemed to reject Arias' claims of physical abuse. Juror questions seemed to question her account of the relationship and her lack of memory of the actual killing. They had to know she lied on the stand, and in a big way. She called him a pedophile. She made him out to be a womanizer. She painted herself as the real victim as she sort of took responsibility.

I believe Arias presented herself as an unlikely killer to the jury, somebody who never would have done something like this, if not for a reason. Whether or not she would kill again is not something a jury should consider. She's on trial for THIS murder, not future conduct. The jury was to weigh the mitigation put on by Arias versus the aggravating factors. The jury got this one wrong. The law is the law, like it or not. The circumstances surrounding this case are fairly clear. How does such a clear cut case of homicide get so muddied? Does Arias stand a chance of receiving the death penalty given the statistics and the surprising outcome of the first trial?  Men have been sentenced to death for far less horrific murders. This bothers me a great deal and based on the last two status conferences regarding the sentencing re trial, I think this case is going to be around for some time.

I want to make one thing clear here, I don't "have it in" for Jodi Arias.  I don't claim to know what makes her tick or why she chose to do what she did. I just feel that the punishment should fit the crime.  But in the states that have the death penalty, it should be equally enforced. If that jury had any doubts going into deliberations for sentencing, the lies that Arias told before, during and after the trial should have come into consideration. If you consider how the victim died and how scared and shocked he must have been and all the chances she had to save him, I don't see how the mitigation she presented outweighs the aggravating factors in this case. It seems overwhelming, yet she escaped a death sentence and seems to be thriving in her jail environment. Some believe the state's best chance at a death sentence was with the first jury, the jury that heard the entire case. I'm not so sure about that.  Perhaps a new jury will look at the facts of the case, and not let emotion play a part in their decision making process.

Women for the most part are the fairer sex.  But some women are evil, violent and calculating. I don't know if there will ever be true gender equality when it comes to the death penalty.

**Debra Milke has been freed on $250,000 bail in Maricopa County. Milke has been imprisoned since 1990 for the murder of her 4 year old son. Milke was on death row until recently. Her conviction was overturned after a federal appeals court found that prosecutors in her trial should have disclosed important information about the truthfulness of the now retired detective who testified at trial that Milke confessed to him. Milke has maintained her innocence from the start. Maricopa County prosecutors intend to re try Milke for murder. Her trial date is tentatively set for September 30th. I hope this trial is televised. Many supporters of Milke are convinced the detective who allegedly took Milke's confession is a liar and a criminal himself. The interview where Milke reportedly confessed was not audio or videotaped. It's the word of one detective with a questionable character against a mother who had no motive to kill her son. I'll be watching for this one.

"Cold Justice" Resembles Dateline's "Unsolved Case Squad"

Only one episode into TNT's new Cold Justice, I'm already a fan of the show. It's hard to say if I would be as enthusiastic if former Texas prosecutor Kelly Siegler was not part of this show - after all, Cold Justice looks a lot like Dateline's Unsolved Case Squad.  Dateline's Unsolved Case Squad featured a similar pairing of a former prosecutor (Los Angeles prosecutor Alan Jackson) with Yolanda McClary and retired homicide detective Dwayne Stanton and had them review cold case files in the hopes of uncovering new leads on old cases.

I watch Dateline regularly, and I watched a few episodes that featured the Unsolved Case Squad.  I believe that although Cold Justice has the same premise as the earlier Dateline series, what's different with this show is there is better chemistry between the former prosecutor (Siegler), the former CSI (Yolanda McClary) and former detective (Johnny Bonds). Siegler and McClary seem to have some early success in their ability to bring justice to these victims. Perhaps the success is in part due to the case selection, I'm not sure after watching one episode but this show seems different to me than the earlier Dateline format. I hope the series continues. 

I admire Kelly Siegler's story. She has a phenomenal record as a prosecutor. From 1986 to 2008, she had a perfect record prosecuting murder cases. She never lost one, making her one of the most feared prosecutors in the state of Texas. But Sieger's seemingly humble beginnings and what she made of herself is what I admire the most. She grew up in Blessing, TX - a small town in  Matagorda County in Texas with a population of 927 (as of 2010). Her father owns a barber shop in town, and her late mother managed several local restaurants. Siegler graduated from Tidehaven High School in 1981, received a degree in International Business from University of Texas in Austin in 1984, and received her law degree in 1987 from the South Texas College of Law. Siegler went on to prosecute high profile cases such as Texas v. Robert Fratta and Texas v. Susan Wright - both stories have been covered extensively in the media and on various crime shows.

Not bad for a woman who grew up in a county where the median household income is $17,181 (2011), (these figures were obtained on zillow.com). While I don't know anything else about Sieger's family other than her mother and father's occupations, it would seem Siegler has worked her way to where she is today. I always admire the self-made Kelly Siegers of the world. That's part of the reason I'm rooting for Cold Justice. Who doesn't like the idea of getting justice for victims of long forgotten murders? 

Whether TNT and Dick Wolf got the idea for Cold Justice from Dateline's less successful Unsolved Case Squad or not - if they can tweak the format and make it work, good for them.  Episode 2 airs tonight and features the 2006 murder of Mattie Williams, a 67 year old woman found stabbed and bludgeoned to death just 3 miles from her home.  Arrests have been made in that case. I know I'll be watching to see how Siegler, McClary and Bonds helped.