Opinion ID: 1667619
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: the state's closing arguments

Text: In its closing argument, the State told the jury it showed decedent was in limbo on May 6th and was looking for a place to stay. After she broke-up with Beatty, she stayed one night with Haydel and one night with Hood. With the appearance of Forbes, however, decedent continued to need a place to stay. The State also told, how they all planned to barbeque. Michael told you this as well. Michael was going to provide the chicken, but they needed a grill for cooking. Michael told you how he had asked Sherri (sic)could Sherri bring over the barbeque grill that she and Paul had at his apartment a few blocks away. And Michael told you that he saw Sherri talking to the defendant, Benny Brown. He didn't really know Mr. Brown. He had seen him the day before talking to Sherri, and Sherri had askedhe had talked to Sherri about what was all that all about? And Michael told you that Sherri said, well, he wants to be with me. He wants to have sex, but I'm not interested in him. That was on the 5th. On the 6th they're talking. Michael asked Sherri to get the hibachi, and she says, okay. And the defendant agrees to take her in his car, his Mercury Montego, to Prescott Place apartments where the hibachi is. Its about 5:30, maybe 6:00 o'clock. The defendant had earlier had a conversation with Kimberly Cagle. He's her friend, and Kimberly said, what are you going to do tonight? He said, I don't know. I need a woman. And she said that he was restless, a little on edge. And he volunteers to take Sherri to pick up the hibachi ... (emphasis added). The State then continued to outline the facts establishing decedent's last known movements. Afterwards, the State hypothesized defendant suggested to decedent she stay at the secluded, abandoned house off Seigen Lane. The State commented, even those who live in the area and are familiar with the location did not know of the existence of this house. The State then proposed how the murder occurred: And I suggest to you that the evidence supports that he took her there, and perhaps he decided to try again to see if she wanted to have sex with him. And she said, no, and there was a struggle. Perhaps that's what happened at the site of the house. A piece of board ripped off. You saw her pants pulled down. It didn't get that way once she was inside the septic tank. And I suggest to you that defendant got mad when she said no, and he hit her. Dr. Suarez said the cut to her chin would be consistent with a fist. And you heard there was a lot of junka lot of things around and he lost it, and he picked up an object and he whacked her one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight times on theher head... The State continued with suggestions of defendant's movements, immediately following the murder and throughout the evening and following morning. After dropping the body into the septic tank and hurling the physical evidence into the woods, the State hypothesized he returned to his apartment. He wanted to be seen that evening, so when Fisher got off work at 9:00, they went out and played pool. But sometime between when they returned home at 1:00 a.m. and dawn, he went back to the crime scene to assure himself no clues were left behind. The State then recapped the discovery of the body and the investigation which ensued. The State remarked to the jury the investigation centered on defendant because he consistently was the last person with whom decedent had been seen. Defendant's flight was commented upon and the jury was informed flight could be considered with respect to the defendant's guilty knowledge. Defendant's statements to detectives, in which he blamed Hood for the murder and said he had never been to the abandoned house, were also commented upon. The State reasserted the testimony of the witnesses who could account for Hood's actions the entire evening and night of May 6th and the testimony of defendant's former girlfriend, Cramer, who defendant had warned not to tell of his knowledge of the abandoned house. On rebuttal, the State answered the defense's theory that defendant had been framed and commented on the defense's additional red herring arguments. The State asserted defendant's attempted alibi set the time frame for decedent's death. Defendant told police Hood had his car on May 6th from 7:00-8:30 p.m., while defendant was at Capital Grocery. But the State reminded the jury, his own witness, Fisher, who works at the grocery as a checker, stated defendant left the grocery at 5:30 to 6:00 and never returned. The State then asserted, Let's get back to the facts that were proven, not speculation, and what the State has to prove. The State has to prove that the defendant was the offender who killed Sheri Lynn Daigle. I don't have to prove the murder weapon. I don't have to prove motive, although I suggest to you ladies and gentlemen, that I have established a motive. The fact that he was working the next day or playing pool that night does not negate the fact that just cold-blooded because whoever did that, as he said on the tape, is cold-blooded ... (emphasis added). Thereafter, the State once again reviewed all the evidence presented at trial. The State concluded its argument by directing the jury's attention to the direct evidence against defendant: the testimony of Fox, Fender and Holt, the tire impression, the discovery of the hibachi at the crime scene, and the testimony establishing defendant's familiarity with the house and septic tanks.