Forensics Day 5 (03-31-2023)

COURTROOM !!!!!!!!!

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Brandy Hambright: Judge

Zack Johnson: Judicial Assistant

Jerri Garside: Court Reporter

Defense Attorney: Steve Fox

Prosecution Attorney: Louis Walker

We are here for the State of Alabama vs. Paul Neese

Paul Neese walked into the courtroom with an orange suit, handcuffs, and shackles. They asked if he can be presented with regular civilian clothing.

Opening Statement: Joslyn Upshaw (Lead procession)

- At 9:00 AM Paul Neese called 911 and said that his wife had committed suicide, afterwards he fled the scene with a bloody rag

Lexi Garside (Lead Defense)

- She argues that Paul Neese never left the scene, he never fled questioning and his fingerprints were not on anything.

-Taylor Jackson calls Bailey Cumpton to the stand because he was the first to respond to the scene as a Police Officer, he responded

A single gunshot wound to the deceased, the manner of the death is undetermined.

there were no marks on the body or any sign of defensive wounds. According to Dr. Garside, the time of death was from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM.

Toxicology Report: An amount of Anti-Depressant was at a therapeutical level.

"Did the Anti-Depressant have anything to do with the cause of Death?" "No, they did not put an effect on the death because the level is according to the therapeutical level."

Keonta Caver was called to the stand for being a law enforcement officer who arrived at the scene. He is explaining the pictures and gives reasoning for the evidence. Each group is going back and forth with questioning.

Diane McCleery is then called to the stand. She is representing a 911 dispatcher who received a call from Paul Neese reporting that her wife had shot herself and was bleeding and not breathing. This call was at 9;04 AM, Paul Neese was not in distress or any outrage because he had noticed his wife just died. He was calm and did not have

Jane Smith is now called up to the stage, she is representing Paul Neese's sister n law, she states "we are family so we talk a lot." They talk about her sister apparently, she says they also meet up for dinner and to get drinks. They are home alone so they will go to each other's house and hang out but nothing weird. She is asked "What are the sexual relationships?" she says they flirted (well she did), but Paul never did. She has apparently always been depressed and that's what they would speak about. She always has talked to her sister about her mental health problems. " I work at a strip club, I have to flirt with everyone, it's my job."

Paul Neese then got called to the stand to give his statement, he was very unsure with all of his answers and he did not seem like he had it together. He also seemed okay with his wife dying, both the defensive and prosecution gave great examples and recent that could argue both sides of the story.

In conclusion, Paul Neese was convicted of not being guilty. Come to find out it was a suicide that was accomplished. He had left the scene because he was in shock. If the police investigators would have asked him to stay, collected the rag, and check the bullet in the chamber for fingerprints. It was a very hard case to figure out, but in the end, it was to be convinced as a suicide. Both teams had a great fight towards each other.