Posted on Nov 3, 2016
Jury in Christopher Lee murder trial out for deliberations
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Excerpt:
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - The jury in a murder trial surrounding the 2014 strangulation of a Twentynine Palms military wife, whose body was dumped into a mineshaft in the high desert, was let out for deliberations around 3:20 p.m. Wednesday.
Last week the defendant, 27-year-old Christopher Brandon Lee, made a shocking courtroom confession claiming he was fueled by rage after the victim, 19-year-old Erin Corwin, admitted to molesting his young daughter. In closing arguments, the prosecution called it "a ruse."
Both sides made their closing arguments to the jury in about an hour.
The prosecution pushed for a conviction of first-degree murder with special circumstances of lying in wait. Defense attorney David Kaloyanides tried to plant doubt in the jurors minds by claiming the killing was made in a fit of passion and was not premeditated. He argued for a lesser conviction of manslaughter, as it is no longer a question of who did it.
"Yeah, he had killed his lover," Kaloyanides said. "But was it murder? Is that what he was conscionable of? Or was it the killing?"
The defense counsel asked the jury of 10 women and two men to consider the evidence closely.
"All of this speculation has to go out. We have to rely on evidence," he added.
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - The jury in a murder trial surrounding the 2014 strangulation of a Twentynine Palms military wife, whose body was dumped into a mineshaft in the high desert, was let out for deliberations around 3:20 p.m. Wednesday.
Last week the defendant, 27-year-old Christopher Brandon Lee, made a shocking courtroom confession claiming he was fueled by rage after the victim, 19-year-old Erin Corwin, admitted to molesting his young daughter. In closing arguments, the prosecution called it "a ruse."
Both sides made their closing arguments to the jury in about an hour.
The prosecution pushed for a conviction of first-degree murder with special circumstances of lying in wait. Defense attorney David Kaloyanides tried to plant doubt in the jurors minds by claiming the killing was made in a fit of passion and was not premeditated. He argued for a lesser conviction of manslaughter, as it is no longer a question of who did it.
"Yeah, he had killed his lover," Kaloyanides said. "But was it murder? Is that what he was conscionable of? Or was it the killing?"
The defense counsel asked the jury of 10 women and two men to consider the evidence closely.
"All of this speculation has to go out. We have to rely on evidence," he added.
Jury in Christopher Lee murder trial out for deliberations
Posted from kesq.com
Crime
Twentynine Palms
Servicemembers
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 6
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SPC Britanny *Winnie* Balthaser, I thought California didn't have the death penalty. After reading the entire story, I don't think his claim he was fueled by rage, will hold water. The murder sounds premeditated to me.
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1stSgt Eugene Harless
There are 741 prisoners on death row in California today. The last time they executed someone was in Jan 2006. Its easier to sentence them then to actually execute them. There is a measure on the ballot this election to repeal the death penalty (Prop 62) and make the Max punishment life W/O parole.
I'm actually torn on this, not because I'm anti-death penalty, but because it costs millions of dollars to taxpayers for the court costs of all the appeals, plus its way more expensive to house death row inmates. To make it worse more simply die of natural causes than are executed.
I'm actually torn on this, not because I'm anti-death penalty, but because it costs millions of dollars to taxpayers for the court costs of all the appeals, plus its way more expensive to house death row inmates. To make it worse more simply die of natural causes than are executed.
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SGT (Join to see)
1stSgt Eugene Harless - Didn't California have the death penalty and repealed it to life, then changed it again to death? I forget the amount but it costs a ton of money to keep these guys on death row. So you're saying more die of natural causes while waiting to be executed, than the actual executions?
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1stSgt Eugene Harless
SGT (Join to see) - The death penalty was repealed and reenstated over several decades. The bottom line is that the liberal courts in California want to completely get rid of the death penalty so they make it cost so much that the average person will look at it and ask " Why are we doing this and having inmates die of old age before they are even executed.
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1stSgt Eugene Harless
Raw numbers.. since 1978, 930 criminals have received the death sentence. 64 have had their sentences reduced by appeal and 103 have died in custody ( I'm guessing health related issued in the vast majority of cases). 15 have been executed. There are two propositions on the state ballot this year. Prop 62 would do away with the death penalty altogether. It would supposedly save the state 150 million in legal and other fees.
Prop 66 would retain the death penalty and call for a limit to appeals. This would also supposedly save 10s of millions of dollars for the state.
Prop 66 would retain the death penalty and call for a limit to appeals. This would also supposedly save 10s of millions of dollars for the state.
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