Michael Blagg GUILTY murder of Jennifer/Abby Blagg in And the Verdict is... Forum

RSS
Email

0 Points

Forum Jump

Michael Blagg GUILTY murder of Jennifer/Abby Blagg

Author	Comment
ChrisRn	Re: Prosecution presents physical evidence in Blagg trial	#61	[-]
Posts: 1389 Mar 16 04 11:53 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	03.16.04 Agent: Prints are Blaggs By MIKE WIGGINS The Daily Sentinel The vast majority of the fingerprints found in Michael Blaggs home and compared to other prints belong to the man suspected of shooting his wife to death, a former Colorado Bureau of Investigation agent testified Monday. Darren Jewkes, who now works as a crime lab manager in Idaho, told jurors in Blaggs first-degree murder trial that 22 of the 29 fingerprints deemed suitable for comparison were identified as Blaggs. The remaining seven werent identified, although they were consistent with a small womans or childs fingerprints, Jewkes said, referring to Blaggs wife and daughter. Blagg reported Jennifer, 34, and Abby, 6, missing in November 2001. He was arrested in June 2002 after Jennifers body was found in the Mesa County Landfill. Abby has not been found and is believed to be dead. Defense attorneys say the fact that most of the fingerprints belong to Blagg means nothing, since he lived in the house. But prosecutors point to some key areas in the house where Blaggs fingerprints were found that they say implicate him in Jennifers slaying. Jewkes testified that eight of the 11 prints found on Jennifers minivan deemed suitable for comparison belong to Blagg. The van is important because investigators believe it was used to transport Jennifers body from the home. Jewkes also said all four fingerprints found on the back door of the home were identified as Blaggs. Blagg told police the back door was open when he reported his wife and daughter missing. CBI agents found 16 palm prints in the house that they deemed suitable for comparison but couldnt identify them because they had nothing to which they could compare them. Police obtained Blaggs fingerprints, but not his palm prints. Jewkes attempted to match the unidentified fingerprints. The CBI obtained the fingerprints of two landscapers who were working in the neighborhood at the time Jennifer was killed, but neither of their prints matched those in the house. Jewkes also ran some of the prints through a state computer database containing fingerprint information about known criminals but found no matches. He said he also tried to develop fingerprints from Jennifers hands. The hands were cut off her body and sent to the CBI in Montrose, where Jewkes tried several methods to glean prints. But the hands were so badly decomposed that he could only obtain three or four fingerprints suitable for comparison, he testified. The trial ended for the day before Jewkes could finish testifying for the prosecution and defense attorneys had a chance to cross-examine him. But Public Defender David Eisner didnt attach much significance to the CBIs findings. Im sure its not surprising Mr. Blaggs fingerprints are found at his own house, Eisner said. Jurors also heard testimony from two evidence custodians with the Mesa County Sheriffs Department who helped collect evidence from the Blagg home. One of those evidence custodians, Paulette Campbell, testified about notes written by Jennifer in the margin of a religious text in which she referenced a fight she had with Blagg on Nov. 9, three or four days before she was killed. Prosecutors say the note and the fight led to Jennifers murder. During cross-examination, defense attorneys noted that, while the two evidence custodians wore gloves and foot coverings, they didnt wear anything to cover their heads, implying that the crime scene could have been contaminated. Mike Wiggins can be reached via e-mail at mwiggins@gjds.com. 2004 Cox Newspapers, Inc www.gjsentinel.com/news/n...3708215907
ChrisRn	Re: Prosecution presents physical evidence in Blagg trial	#62	[-]
Posts: 1389 Mar 16 04 11:55 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	NEIGHBORS CALLED TO TESTIFY AT BLAGG TRIAL March 16, 2004 Tuesday's proceedings in the Michael Blagg trial saw a larger volume of witnesses than in previous days. In addition to testimony from investigators and professionals, seven witnesses were called by the state, six of whom were civilians who lived near the Blagg home. First on the stand Tuesday morning was Darrin Jewkes, a fingerprint specialist from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. One concern for the defense was how the jury might perceive the finding of 24 fingerprints in the house belonging to Michael Blagg. Jewkes also testified to fingerprints of no value, those not attributed to anyone. Both sides had questions about whether or not it was a possibility that those prints belonged to Michael Blagg. When questioned by District Attorney Frank Daniels whether those prints of no value could be those of Michael Blagg, Jewkes answered, "could be." After Jewkes finished his testimony, six former neighbors of the Blaggs were called by the state. Helen West lived across the street from the Blaggs, and she had spoken with Jennifer Blagg on the phone the night before she was killed. "We talked about Thanksgiving. I invited Michael, Jennifer, and Abby to come over to our house on Thanksgiving Day after they had their meal, and we talked about getting together for some coffee sometime," said West. When she stepped out to walk her dogs, West also heard two to three male voices from near the back area of the Blagg home the morning the murder happened, which caused her to go back inside the house. Tuesday afternoon Edith Nelson was called to the stand, who was a good friend of Jennifer when they lived in South Carolina. She described the couple's relationship as "controlling" on "Mike's side," and "Jennifer was an adoring wife." After Ms. Nelson's testimony, the prosecution called more neighbors and asked them where they were the day of the murder; what they were doing; and if they saw anything suspicious. The prosecution's intention was to paint a picture of where the neighbors were around the time of the murder. 2003 Pikes Peak Broadcasting. www.kjct8.com/news/readnews.cfm?ID=2831
ChrisRn	Blagg bought entertainment system after disappearances	#63	[-]
Posts: 1389 Mar 26 04 1:13 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	03.18.04 Blagg bought entertainment system after disappearances By Mike Wiggins The Daily Sentinel Less than two months after reporting his wife and daughter missing, Michael Blagg spent more than $5,000 on a new home-entertainment system, the employee who sold him the items testified Wednesday. Devon Tilly, who at the time worked for Circuit City in Grand Junction, said Blagg came into the store on New Years Eve in 2001 and bought a big-screen projection television, a DVD player, a receiver, a subwoofer, speakers, cables and an extended warranty. He said the total package, including delivery, cost more than $5,400. Tillys testimony came on the sixth day of Blaggs first-degree murder trial, in which Blagg is accused of killing his wife, Jennifer, and dumping her body in the Mesa County Landfill. Blagg, 41, told police he returned home from work on the afternoon of Nov. 13, 2001, to find a pool of blood in the master bedroom, the back door open and Jennifer and the couples 6-year-old daughter, Abby, missing. Abby has never been found. Blagg has maintained his innocence, and his attorneys claim a stranger snuck into the house and killed Jennifer after Blagg had gone to work. On Wednesday, though, prosecutors tried to portray Blaggs actions as being inconsistent with a grieving husband and father. Tilly said Blagg came into the store once and called once before making his purchase, asking questions and trying to find the best price. During the phone call, Blagg tried to wheel and deal, Tilly told police. On Dec. 31, Blagg bought the home-entertainment system shortly before the store closed. Deputy District Attorney Brian Flynn asked Tilly if Blagg said anything when he purchased the equipment. Man, this country is great. You can buy a bunch of stuff and walk away not paying anything, Tilly quoted Blagg as saying, referring to a no-interest promotion the store was offering at the time. Tilly said Blagg was wearing a pin with pictures of his missing wife and daughter, but Tilly said he didnt know who Blagg was until Blagg left and other employees pointed him out. Two weeks later, on Jan. 14, 2002, Blagg returned to Circuit City and spent more than $1,200 on a new computer and modem. During cross-examination of Tilly, Public Defender David Eisner noted that Jennifers father-in-law, Harold Conway, had accompanied Blagg to the store during his first visit there. He also suggested that Blaggs purchase was his way of coping with grief and stress. As they did Tuesday, jurors heard testimony from neighbors of the Blaggs. Former next-door neighbor Tammy Eret said she was returning home the afternoon of Nov. 13 when she saw Blaggs vehicle traveling slowly around the cul-de-sac before pulling in front of his house. It caught my eye, obviously, Eret said of the vehicles slow speed. I didnt think it was normal. Many neighbors testified the Blaggs seemed secluded and often had their garage door down and blinds shut. The man who owned the home the Blaggs lived in, Chris Durham, said he and his wife tried to make friends with the Blaggs and invited them over to their house a few times. He said they gave up after the Blaggs never accepted the invitations. Well, I guess they just dont want to be our friends, Durham said he told his wife. Ashley Parko, who baby-sat Abby Blagg between May and August of 2001, testified that an initially friendly Blagg became more distant and colder as the summer went on. She said Blagg was extremely protective of Jennifer and Abby and that Blagg would call home and check in on Jennifer, although she said Jennifer told her that her husband checking in on her was cute. Other witnesses, including one of Jennifers close friends in Grand Junction, testified about a different side of Michael Blagg. Diane Shirley said she told investigators that the Blaggs had a happy marriage, and that Michael was the most devoted and loving husband and father she had met. Both she and Art Blankenship, a former pastor at one of the churches the Blaggs attended, said they thought the Blaggs would confide in them about any problems they had. Both said neither Michael nor Jennifer gave any indication that there was anything wrong with their marriage. Blankenship also testified about his interaction with Blagg early on the morning of Nov. 14, when he picked Blagg up from the Mesa County Sheriffs Department following an interview with investigators. He was almost absolutely quiet, Blankenship said about Blagg, who stayed that night at Blankenships house. The only comment he made was he asked, 'Art, have you ever been involved in anything like this in your whole life? Under cross-examination from Public Defender David Eisner, Blankenship said Blagg broke down and cried several times while staying with him. The final witness of the day, Kevin King, created some sparks between Eisner and himself with his testimony about Blaggs demeanor days after Jennifer and Abby disappeared. King, whose wife attended Bible study with Jennifer, said he asked Blagg about what had happened on Nov. 13 while the two were waiting to participate in a search. At one point, King said, Blagg bent over and started to break down, but that he didnt see any tears. He also said Blagg was passionless when he appeared on television. I would have reacted a whole lot different, King said. Eisner jumped on King during cross-examination, saying his impressions of Blagg were based on inaccurate or incomplete information and suggesting he wasnt in a position to judge Blagg. Mike Wiggins can be reached via e-mail at mwiggins@gjds.com. 2004 Cox Newspapers, Inc www.gjsentinel.com/news/n...7722225486
ChrisRn	Co-workers say Blagg acted strange day he called police	#64	[-]
Posts: 1389 Mar 26 04 1:14 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	March 18, 2004 Co-workers say Blagg acted strange day he called police The Associated Press - GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. Michael Blagg looked pale and dazed the day he called police to report his wife and daughter missing, co-workers testified during his murder trial Thursday. "He looked shocked, dazed, as I was talking to him," said Joan Cordova, recounting her Nov. 13, 2001, encounter with Blagg at Ametek Dixson, where both worked. Another co-worker, Clara Loos, testified that Blagg seemed "different" and looked pale that day. Blagg, 41, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife Jennifer, who was found shot and buried in a landfill seven months after Blagg reported her missing. Their 6-year-old daughter, Abby, is missing and presumed dead. Cordova, a quality control inspector, said the doors were unlocked when she arrived at work early the day of the encounter. She said she went to find a supervisor and ran into Blagg. "I said was he aware doors were open, not locked? No response, so I asked him again. He said 'I'll get back to you,'" Cordova said. Blagg was a supervisor at Ametek until he was fired for allegedly stealing office furniture. Under defense cross-examination, Cordova said she did not originally talk to investigators about Blagg because she thought it might put her job in jeopardy. She spoke with investigators when they contacted her at home. Prosecutors say Blagg shot and killed his wife to escape a troubled marriage, then staged a burglary at the house. Blagg says an intruder committed the crime. Blagg was arrested June 5, 2002, at his mother's house in Warner Robins, Ga., after his wife's remains were found. Copyright 2004 The Associated Press
ChrisRn	Evidence shows police made mistakes in Blagg investigation	#65	[-]
Posts: 1389 Mar 26 04 1:15 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	03.19.04 Evidence shows police made mistakes in Blagg investigation By MIKE WIGGINS The Daily Sentinel Michael Blaggs lawyers struck back at prosecutors Thursday with evidence showing police erred in two areas of their investigation into the murder of Blaggs wife. FBI Special Agent Christopher Buechner testified that Grand Junction police made mistakes in their analyses of Blaggs home and work computers. Authorities who were investigating the disappearance of Jennifer and Abby Blagg in November 2001 had seized those computers looking for evidence. Officers found hundreds of adult pornographic images and Web site references on the home computer. Mesa County sheriffs investigator Mike Piechota testified last week that Grand Junction police had concluded Blagg had accessed a pornographic Web site on the evening of Nov. 12, 2001. Prosecutors claim Blagg killed his wife that night after they had fought over his use of Internet pornography. But Buechner said a Web site for flowers, not pornography, was accessed on Nov. 12, and the Blaggs home computer hadnt accessed Internet pornography since Oct. 4. Police also had found a loving note of apology to Jennifer that Blagg had typed in an e-mail on his computer at work. Detectives claimed Blagg had written the e-mail on the afternoon of Nov. 13, less than an hour before he reported his wife and daughter missing. Investigators found a printed copy of the note in Jennifers purse in the master bedroom where she was killed, and prosecutors had at one time suggested Blagg planted the note. But Buechner said detectives who analyzed Blaggs computer and came up with the Nov. 13 date were actually looking at the day the file had been closed. He said his analysis showed the e-mail was actually created on Nov. 9. Blagg has maintained he had nothing to do with his wifes death and daughters disappearance. Mike Wiggins can be reached via e-mail at mwiggins@gjds.com. 2004 Cox Newspapers, Inc www.gjsentinel.com/news/n....6088.html
ChrisRn	Blagg was under surveillance after wife, daughter disappear	#66	[-]
Posts: 1389 Mar 26 04 1:17 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	March 19, 2004 Blagg was under surveillance after wife, daughter disappeared, police say The Associated Press - GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. Michael Blagg was under round-the-clock police surveillance for two months after his wife and daughter disappeared, officers testified during his murder trial Friday. Blagg, 41, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Jennifer Blagg, who was found shot and buried in a landfill seven months after Blagg reported her missing. Their 6-year-old daughter, Abby, is missing and presumed dead. Michael Blagg acted suspiciously one day about two months after reporting the pair missing, officers testified. Officers watched Blagg drive to Ametek Dixson, where he worked at the time, in his vehicle on Jan. 11, 2002, and leave in a company pickup, Sgt. Doug Norcross testified. Norcross said Blagg then drove to his town house and unloaded a table. Detective Michael Clear testified that when Blagg returned to the business, he walked unusually fast back to Ametek's parking lot, looking over his shoulder several times. Blagg was a supervisor at Ametek until he was fired for allegedly stealing office furniture. It was not immediately clear whether the table officers observed Blagg unload was something he was accused of stealing. Prosecutors say Blagg shot and killed his wife to escape a troubled marriage, then staged a burglary at the house. Blagg says an intruder committed the crime. Blagg was arrested June 5, 2002, at his mother's house in Warner Robins, Ga., after his wife's remains were found. Copyright 2004 The Associated Press.
ChrisRn	Uncle continues search for slain sister's missing daughter	#67	[-]
Posts: 1389 Mar 26 04 1:19 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Story last updated at 8:37 a.m. Tuesday, March 23, 2004 Uncle continues search for slain sister's missing daughter GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) -- On weekdays, David Loman sits in a courtroom, listening to the case against the man accused of killing his sister. On weekends, he searches the hills and gullies of Mesa County for any trace of his niece. Abby Jo Blagg would have turned 9 on Sunday. She and her mother, Jennifer, disappeared on Nov. 13, 2001. The body of Ardmore, Okla., native Jennifer Blagg was found in a landfill seven months later, and her husband, Michael Blagg, was charged with first-degree murder. Abby is still missing and presumed dead. Loman, the manager of an Oklahoma City Wal-Mart, is using vacation time to attend the trial in his sister's death and to hunt for Abby, who was 6 when she disappeared. Loman and a Grand Junction couple, Kent and Connie Flukey, draw search grids on maps and scour areas they believe might be promising. The Flukeys are the most dedicated searchers out of a band of about eight to 10 people who have been helping Loman. ''I'd dare say before this is all over, there's probably not a rock in Mesa County we don't have a name for or more than eight trees we haven't become acquainted with,'' Loman said. Investigators have said they believe Abby's body was dumped in the landfill along with her mother's. ''I would love it if they proved me wrong,'' said George Barley, the lead investigator on the Blagg case for the Mesa County Sheriff's Office. Michael Blagg's trial enters its third week on Monday. Asked last week if he had been searching for his daughter, he replied, ''We are all wrapped up in this case right now.'' That angers Loman. ''Not a single one of them (Michael Blagg or his family) has lifted a finger to do a gol-darned thing,'' he said. ''We have not even had a call. They have not given any information or help to the foundation.'' The Abby and Jennifer Recovery Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was formed the summer after Abby's disappearance. It was modeled after a Texas foundation that helped to put together a week-long search of Mesa County by about 2,000 volunteers in the spring of 2002. Since that search, it has aided in searches for other missing children in the West. Prosecutors allege Blagg, 41, staged a burglary and killed his wife to get out of a troubled marriage. Defense lawyers say the two were happy, maintaining that a burglar killed Jennifer Blagg. Blagg was arrested June 5, 2002, at his mother's house in Warner Robins, Ga., shortly after his wife's remains were found. The Daily Ardmoreite ardmoreite.com/stories/03...lagg.shtml
ChrisRn	Stone-faced Blagg described day of disappearance in intervie	#68	[-]
Posts: 1389 Mar 26 04 1:21 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Stone-faced Blagg described day of disappearance in interview By MIKE WIGGINS The Daily Sentinel Wednesday, March 24, 2004 Less than two hours after reporting his wife and daughter missing, an emotionless Michael Blagg sat down with police and calmly described in a videotaped interview a strong, loving, Christian family with no enemies. Jurors in Blaggs first-degree murder trial on Tuesday watched a portion of that Nov. 13, 2001, interview in which Blagg told Mesa County Sheriffs Department investigator Steve King about what he did that day and provided some background information about his family. Seated in a chair across a table from King in an interview room at the Mesa County Sheriffs Department, Blagg began the 5 -hour interview by telling King he got up at 5:30 a.m., took care to not wake his wife, Jennifer, while he got dressed, then closed the door to daughter Abbys bedroom. He said he left for work at 6 a.m., although pictures from a security camera showed Blagg at work at 5:56 a.m. Blagg said he tried to call Jennifer at home or on her cell phone six times that day and received no answer each time, beginning at 7 a.m., when he said he called home to make sure she and Abby were awake and she was getting Abby ready for school. He said it was after the final call, which he said he made to his home around 3 p.m., that he became pretty concerned. We never go all day without talking on the phone, he told King. Blagg said he left work a little after 4 p.m., arrived home and felt a twinge of panic when he found the back door open and wasnt greeted by Abby at the front door. He looked in the master bedroom, where he said he saw items on the floor and a pool of blood on the bed. He described for King in detail how the blood had dripped off the bed and soaked into the floor. Id never seen that much blood before, Blagg said later in the interview. He said he called 911, told the dispatcher what he had found and was told to get out of the house. While he and the dispatcher were talking about Abby, he ran back inside the house to look in her bedroom, where he said he found her school clothes laid out and her bed unmade. He then went back outside and waited for police to arrive. At that point in the interview, King asked Blagg to talk about Jennifer. He described her as energetic, enthusiastic and a good Christian who could make friends with anyone. She could talk to a wall and have the wall laugh 10 minutes after she started talking to it, Blagg said. A few minutes later, after Blagg described the safe neighborhood the family lived in, King asked Blagg if he knew anyone with whom the family had trouble. I cant think of anybody who would have a problem with Jennifer, with Abby, with me. Were about as plain, Melba toast as you can get. He described his marriage as very strong and wonderful and told King, We both love the Lord with all our hearts, when asked about the marriages biggest plus. The biggest challenge? We both have pride issues, he said. We love each other so much that we let that get in the way of prayer time, social events. After Blagg documented some of Jennifers health problems, King had him chronicle his day in reverse order, starting with his arrival at home. The jury watched about 45 minutes of a 2-hour, 45-minute DVD before testimony ended for the day. During that portion of the interview, Blagg spoke quietly and evenly and didnt cry. The videotape of Blaggs first interview with police is the latest in a string of evidence from prosecutors who say Blaggs odd behavior and lack of emotion following the vanishing of his wife and daughter is indicative of his guilt in his wifes slaying. Defense attorneys have argued that any difference people saw in Blagg was due to work-related stress, and that Blagg showed no outward emotion in public by drawing strength from his faith. In other testimony, jurors heard from Blaggs former boss, Wes Hardin, who said Blagg was fired from his job at Ametek Dixson in February 2002 after Blagg allegedly stole some items from the manufacturing plant. 2004 Cox Newspapers, Inc www.gjsentinel.com/hp/con...g_WWW.html
ChrisRn	Doctor: Blagg Mentioned No Problems With Husband	#69	[-]
Posts: 1389 Mar 26 04 1:22 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Doctor: Blagg Mentioned No Problems With Husband Mar 24, 2004 6:30 pm US/Mountain GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) Jennifer Blagg told her family physician she was depressed and uninterested in sex but never mentioned any emotional or psychological problems with her husband, the doctor testified Wednesday in the murder trial of her husband. "Jennifer never gave me the impression that she was afraid of her husband," Dr. Greg Reicks said. Michael Blagg, 41, is charged with first-degree murder in his wife's shooting death. Prosecutors allege he killed her to get out of a troubled marriage and then staged a robbery. Defense lawyers say the two were happy and that a burglar killed Jennifer Blagg. Michael Blagg reported his wife and their 6-year-old daughter, Abby, missing on Nov.. 13, 2001. Jennifer Blagg's body was found in a landfill in June 2002. Abby is missing and presumed dead. Reicks said he had diagnosed Jennifer Blagg with chronic fatigue. Dr. Barry King testified she was using at least four or five new types of antidepressants and some older types. The trial was delayed about 3 1/2 hours Wednesday because of a power failure. Blagg was arrested June 5, 2002, at his mother's house in Warner Robins, Ga., shortly after his wife's remains were found. 2004 The Associated Press
TCSSAdmin	Blagg leaves jail, heads to prison	#70	[-]
Posts: 5106 May 4 04 7:01 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Blagg leaves jail, heads to prison Wednesday, April 21, 2004 By MIKE WIGGINS The Daily Sentinel Michael Blagg was turned over to the Colorado Department of Corrections on Tuesday to begin serving a life sentence in prison for the murder of his wife. Mesa County sheriffs deputies flew with Blagg from Grand Junction to Denver, where he was admitted into the Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center. Blagg had been held in the Mesa County Jail since Friday, when he was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Jennifer Blagg. The Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center is a state-run maximum-security facility where inmates are evaluated for placement within the Department of Corrections. Officials draw blood for DNA purposes, photograph and fingerprint each inmate and send the information along to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, said Department of Corrections spokeswoman Alison Morgan. Inmates undergo educational, vocational, medical, mental health and substance-abuse evaluations and social background interviews. Using that information, as well as their crime, length of sentence and criminal history, the Department of Corrections gives inmates classifications and assigns them to a prison. There are some additional unique factors that will affect where Blagg ends up, including the high-profile nature of his case and the fact that he had no prior criminal convictions, Morgan said. Inmates are assigned to a facility within 30 days of arriving at the center in Denver. Prisons are divided into five security levels, with Level I being minimum-security work camps and Level V being maximum-security prisons with 23-hour lockdown. A popular misconception is that the severity of the crime alone dictates where an inmate is placed, according to Morgan. Thirty-five percent of the population in the states two maximum-security prisons were convicted of nonviolent crimes, she said. Morgan would not predict what facility Blagg will be sent to, although she said because he was sentenced to life without parole, he will not progress below a Level III facility. Level III facilities, where the vast majority of the states prison population resides, are classified as medium security. They have two perimeter fences and towers and offer controlled movement in which inmates are allowed to leave their cells at certain times of the day. After seven weeks of trial and 10 hours of deliberation, a jury found Blagg, 41, guilty of shooting his wife in the head while she slept and disposing of her body at the county landfill in November 2001. The couples 6-year-old daughter, Abby, remains missing and is presumed dead. www.gjsentinel.com/hp/con...3500324369
TCSSAdmin	BLAGG JURORS SPEAK OUT AFTER TRIAL	#71	[-]
Posts: 5106 May 4 04 7:02 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	BLAGG JURORS SPEAK OUT AFTER TRIAL After about 12 hours of deliberation, the jury in the Michael Blagg trial appeared very secure in their decision to convict Michael Blagg of first degree murder on Friday, April 16. At first they expressed regret a husband and father could have committed the crime. "Anyone with a heart wants to believe that can't happen, and we all wanted to believe that," said Todd Hoyt, one of four jury members who spoke with the media after the verdict and sentencing of Blagg. So what was it that convinced the jury Michael Blagg was not innocent? For one, the smoking gun was the second van key belonging to Jennifer, which was under her purse in the alleged robbery attempt. Also mentioned was the blood in the Blagg's van, as well as the fibers found on the bullet and how those items factored into the choice of first or second degree murder charges. The blood in the van proved the family van had been used to transport Jennifer's body. The fiber on the bullet indicated the gun had been covered before it was shot. To the jury, this was extremely obvious there had been thought before the act -- thus helping in their decision between first-degree and second-degree murder. With nearly 100 witnesses called by the prosecution and piles of evidence from both sides, the jury offered no apologies for a hasty verdict. "We had poster-size paper, and we filled like six of them with questions of pros and cons, and then we hung it all around our room, and we referred to them. If there was a question we would go back to them. Not all of us agreed all of the time, but whenever we had a disagreement, we'd say, 'you know, let's go back and look at the evidence.' It may have seemed like a day, but it felt like a week," explained Hoyt. Blagg's demeanor also affected the jury. "Looking at him, it was hard to believe him. I do think he convinced himself he didn't do it, but he tried too hard to come across as a sincere man, and I don't think he was," said Andrea Taylor, a jury member. 2003 Pikes Peak Broadcasting. All Rights Reserved Click to Go Back www.kjct8.com/news/readnews.cfm?ID=2901

Yuku free message boards

Michael Blagg GUILTY murder of Jennifer/Abby Blagg