My Visit To The Casey Anthony Murder Trial On June 8, 2011- Part 1

Will this trial  be the final chapter in the Quest for Justice for Caylee Marie Anthony?

 Mr. Katfish and I are here in Florida to visit family in Tampa for a couple weeks. We have been having a nice visit, but for me, the trip wouldn't be complete without a stop at one of the hottest Summer attractions (obsession?) in FL.....no....not Disney World or Universal  Amusement Parks, Busch Gardens or even the Kennedy space Center....my "hotspot" is the Casey Anthony capital murder trial taking place in Orlando. Most people reading here at Katfish....Ponders already know that I'm a trial junkie and this blog is devoted to cases of true crime and missing people, most of which eventually end up working their way through the American criminal justice system, my true "passion".

I intend for this post to be an in-depth account of my visit to the Casey Anthony murder trial in Orlando, FL on Wednesday, June, 8, 2011. I don't plan on giving an "entire account" of the testimony given today because there has already been so much reported (by people more qualified than I ); however, if you have any questions just ask, I took copious notes. The entire day was also streamed online, by various outlets as well as televised by HLN and TruTv's " InSession" and at least one local station, all live.  I'll be sure to include links to the coverage at the end of the post. What I really want to share with you is my personal experience...so here we go......

My husband and I are staying at The DoubleTree Hotel (very nice) on Ivanhoe and Orange Avenue, approximately a mile north of the Orange County Courthouse....My Mr. has little interest in trials so he plans on doing some "sightseeing" around downtown Orlando and hanging out at the hotel while I attend court. I hope to be able to get into the trial on Wednesday for the whole day and Thursday for a half day so our reservations are for Tuesday and Wednesday nights. We decided to stay over in Orlando because the court is allowing people to start lining up at 5:30 am to get the coveted 50 seats available to the public. Tickets are handed out between 8 and 8:30. I'm not even going to drive 1.5 hours to get in line at 5 am. LOL

Our plan is for Mr. Katfish to drop me off in front of the courthouse a little after 5, maybe come back and meet me for lunch, and then come and pick me up when court was over for the day. We planned it this way so that he would have a vehicle if he decided to get out in Orlando. After seeing there was plenty to do right at the hotel and realizing that DoubleTree by Hilton has some of the most comfortable beds we've ever encountered at a hotel, at about 4 am on Wed, Mr. Katfish decided he really didn't need the truck (LOL), so I drove myself that .8 mile South on Orange Avenue to the Orange County Courthouse ;)

Casey Town

As I enter the block in front of the courthouse, I can see "Casey Town" on my right, a mass of tents and awnings (I learned there were over 700 requests for media credentials and about 600 were issued). Across the street from Casey Town and directly in front of the courthouse building is a large media truck marked with COURT TV on the side. There doesn't seem to be a lot of activity yet in the media areas so I turn my attention to finding a spot to park and notice all of the parking meters on the block are covered to prevent parking.


L-R  parking garage, administrative building, 23 floor Orange County Courthouse, and another administrative building with a courtyard in front of the OCC and in between the 2 administrative buildings .

  Immediately on my left is the parking garage that I used when I attended a pretrial hearing on December 20, 2010 (We were in FL for Christmas with family). I see some lights are on in the parking garage and there are a few cars already parked....there is also a car at the entrance that I assume is stopped to grab his parking ticket ( I think it's $15 max for the day) just as I pull in I notice a line of about 20 people are standing on the Orange St. sidewalk in front of the administrative building (between the parking garage and the courthouse).

Orange Ave sidewalk where the early birds gather

I'd heard the court had allowed the lineup to move from across the street to this spot on the sidewalk that passes the courthouse complex at the street. (I assume to eliminate some of the stampede at 5:30) I'm starting to feel pretty excited about being here.....that and the caffeine is starting to kick in. WooHoo!

I pulled right behind the car entering the garage and notice out of the corner of my eye some more people are being dropped off to join the line. I'm regretting not having Mr. Katfish drop me off and the car ahead of me isn't moving....WTH? I honk my horn and immediately I regret my impatience...not my normal MO....so I get out and approach the car. I smiled at the man in the car to soften the sting of my horn and ask if he plans on parking. I notice the man has on a uniform and realize he is some type of courthouse employee, thankfully, he smiles back at me before pointing out the cone blocking his entry....he tells me the garage opens at 5:30 (it's about 5:15 now) and then asks if I'm here to get a ticket for the trial. When I tell him yes, he suggests I go ahead and park on the street behind the courthouse so I can get in line, adding the meter maids don't start patrolling until 9am. I thank him for his kindness and get back in my truck and back out to go around the block. I find a parking spot with no problem, feed the meter for the maximum allowed, 2 hours (I don't want to chance our only transportation being towed off. LOL) and cut through the back of the courthouse entry/courtyard.

~Time to get in line ~

When I get to the front of the courthouse there is a OCSO deputy/bailiff standing in the courtyard near the corner of the administration building, I smile and tell him I'm here to get a ticket for a seat, the officer points to a roped off area under the awning on the administrative building and I see the people from the line are being allowed to come on the courthouse property now (Basically just turning the corner of the building and the line begins at the opposite end up near where the bailif was standing.). To my relief there is no running or inappropriate behavior that I can see so I take my place in line. It looks like 30-40 people in front of me...drats...I hope I get a seat!

One thing I notice right off is the number of young people around me in line. Directly behind me is a group of 3 girls who appear to be early to mid twenties. In line in front of me are 2 guys in their early twenties, and in front of them are 3 more girls in their very early twenties. The first  30 or so people in line ahead of us look to be in their 40's and 50's for the most part, and there he is....right at the front of the line, neck brace guy. LOL! Most of the people who show up in the next 15 minutes or so are older women, hopefully they will get in. By about 6 am it's obvious there are way more people here than will be able to get in, regardless, everyone stays in line and remains pretty civil, some young adults at the end are getting a little loud but really they are just acting goofy, not belligerent.

The guys in front of me (since we end up sitting with each other all day, at the risk of sounding like Casey Anthony, I'll call them "my boys" from here on out.) have attended the trial another day so they are "sharing their knowledge" about the workings of this ticket system with the pretty young girls ahead of us and behind me. Of course, I'm all ears and learn after a while, that when everyone is pretty well established in line, people can step out and use the restroom (located in the building we are lined in front of) or move their cars. I'm relieved to hear this...I was just thinking about calling Mr Katfish and ask him to either ride his electric wheelchair here or get a ride from the hotel shuttle to pick up the truck. I wait until some around me have ran their "errands" and then go move my truck into the parking garage at about 7 am. Good! Now I don't have to worry about that.

All morning there have been camera crews taking still shots and video up and down the line. A few of them are taking head counts too, after several tell me I'm number 40-42 I feel comfortable I'll get a seat. My boys tell me the first 20 are seated on the main floor in the courtroom and the rest are seated in the balcony with the media.

Jim Lichtenstein, a producer for the Today show is trying to find who in line has traveled the farthest to be here. Everyone near me was from FL. I'm not sure who Lichtenstein came up with...perhaps he should have checked among his colleagues....there was a reporter from Japan trying to interview people in line. A reporter I spoke with from the Miami Herald told me the Japanese reporter doesn't speak English but his camera girl does, so she is pulling double duty. Can you believe with everything going on in Japan, they would send someone here to report this case? I suppose it's a diversion.

I found the reporter from the Miami Herald, Audra D.S.Burch, to be a very interesting person. After I told her I have a true crime blog and have occasionally written about this case she asked me to leave the line for a few minutes and sit down on a nearby bench to talk. (A welcome break after standing for hours, many have sat on the sidewalk but I was afraid if I got down there I would have trouble getting up with these knees ~ o ~ mine. LOL) Here is a link to the story Audra wrote about the trial and those attending for the Miami Herald. It's very interesting, she was here all week and interviewed a lot of people...I also did a search on Ms. Burch and linked (with her name above) the results, she has written some very interesting pieces and won some prestigious rewards. I'm glad I had the chance to meet her.

At about 8 am , staff from the court comes and hands out laminated sheets with rules of conduct for the courtroom. The energy is increasing in the line now, those who didn't receive a sheet will not get in this morning, but most stay anyway. My boys tell me there are usually a few people who get kicked out for sleeping or some other infraction and some people don't come back for the afternoon session so it's possible these people could get those seats. At 8:15 the court personnel take back the laminated rules sheets and at 8:30 return to hand out the actual seat tickets. Here is my ticket:

Once the tickets are handed out people disperse from the line. I head straight over to the main entrance of the courthouse and get in line again. This line is for everyone coming to the courthouse (for whatever reason) to go through a security checkpoint.Surprisingly, this only takes a few minutes so I make a "pit stop" up on 23 before I go into the courtroom. In the ladies room I speak with a woman who also has her husband stashed at their hotel....they are from Tennessee and came specifically for her to attend the trial. She said her husband had retired recently and hadn't been able to pry her from the TV watching the trial so he finally told her, "Let's just go to Orlando!" I thought that was a hoot!

~ Let's head into the courtroom ~

I make my way into Judge Perry's courtroom on 23 and a bailiff checks my ticket and directs me to a stair well on my left to go into the balcony. When I get up to the balcony another bailiff tells me which row to go to....I'm kind of bummed when I realize my seat is smack dab in the middle of the row. Once everyone is seated I look around and realize my whole row is made up of the same people I was right in line with. The 3 girls behind me and another woman have the 4 seats behind me and my boys are right next to me with the 3 girls ahead of them seated before them at the beginning of the row. There are 5 rows of seats, the first 2.5 rows are media seats. There are monitors across the front row that are showing split shots from various cameras throughout the courtroom being manned by people who aren't familiar.

The first person I recognize in the media section is Dave Knechel aka Marinade Dave. Dave is a blogger from Orlando that has been closely following this case and was hired by the Orlando Magazine to cover the trial for them. He is seated in the row in front of me at the far end. I'm happy for Dave to have received the media credentials so he can attend daily. Once Dave sees me he smiles and indicates we will meet in the hall at the morning break. I have followed Dave's blog for a long time but had the opportunity to meet him in person last December when I attended a hearing in this case.....it's funny how you can meet someone on the internet and become friends but not even know what each other looks like and then when you do meet feel like you have known them forever. It's like that with Dave and me but I have also had the same experience with others. I met another "trial buddy", Karental, for lunch in Tampa and it felt the same...like I had known her forever. Life is good :) I look forward to meeting up with many more of my online friends in the years to come!

~ A Little "Starstruck" ~
 Back to the trial....court will start in a few minutes so I look around to see if I see any "big names". Throughout the day I saw,  Jean Casarez  InSession Correspondent / Attorney sits in the front row keeping an eye on one of the monitors and a producer from InSession named Mike who does some on air reports sits right behind her. Ashleigh Banfield is here, now a reporter for ABC,  formerly of CTV / In session. Judge Jeanine Pirro,  former District Attorney and County Court Judge who now hosts a tv "court show" with her name, is here and seated with a couple people. Aphrodite Jones, Author and TV host of "True Crime with Aphrodite Jones" on Investigation Discovery, came in and takes a seat that in a few minutes turns out is Natisha Lance's seat, Nancy Grace Producer. The first witness was on the stand when Natisha entered the balcony so she tells Aphrodite to stay in her seat and takes an empty seat next to Dave; however, Natisha immediately reclaims her seat when Aphrodite leaves later in the day. I thought Aphrodite looked a little tired when she came in this morning but much more so now as she leaves, hope she's not sick that's all everyone squished in this balcony needs◔_◔ . Another woman takes the seat that Natisha just left next to Dave and stays there for the remainder of the day. (I assumed she was a reporter, but later learn her name is Susan Constantine, after seeing her make a couple appearances on HLN to speak as a body language specialist.) I should note that the bailiff is very strict about people remaining in their seats assigned by the court seat ticket for media and public....I'll talk about this more in a bit. I didn't note when Beth came in; however, Beth Karas, InSession Correspondent / Attorney comes in later in the afternoon and replaces Jean Casarez in the front row.

Here are a few  pictures I grabbed off the internet of Baez and the Anthonys. I can't really say I'm starstruck by any of the Anthony family but without a doubt they are the "stars" of this case. I barely caught a glimpse of George and Cindy when coming into the entry of the courtroom to reach the balcony. The lower gallery is dismissed before the balcony is allowed to disperse when court breaks so the Anthonys and other people in the gallery are gone before I reach the hallway or the elevator. Casey and her defense team are in full view from the balcony 
and her "mug" is plastered all over the media's monitors in front of us.


 ~ Order is the rule of the day ~

The bailiff get's everyone's attention in the balcony and reminds everyone of court decorum. He says anyone caught sleeping or being disruptive (chewing gum, talking, etc) will be asked to leave and not allowed back in the courtroom for the day. He reminds everyone to silence their cellphones and says that nobody can have out their cellphone, IPad, etc unless they are wearing media credentials. I already turned my phone off before I came up the elevator....I do not want to risk the ire of Judge Perry. The bailiff also reminds the accredited media they are restricted to texting on their devices. This is definitely Judge Parry's court nothing is left to chance.

All day the bailiff on the balcony kept a very close eye on everyone in the balcony and the gallery downstairs. I noticed that a bailiff downstairs also monitored the balcony and the gallery, it seemed like a very structured procedure. I'll talk about this more in a bit, but the Honorable Judge Belvin Perry has entered the courtroom and things get underway for day 13 of the trial.

After the court officially recognizes both parties. (I count 3 attorneys at the state table adjacent to the jury box and facing the court and 6 attorneys at the defense table directly across and facing the jury box, there is someone sitting at the table the defense would have normally been seated at that I think might be an investigator for the state or possibly another attorney.) Jose Baez is on his feet. The defense wants to renew their previous objections on the record about evidence coming in pertaining to the cadaver dogs. Judge Perry says," As for the video training, the trier of fact can determine the credibility but they must know the training.Objections denied." The videos weren't shown today, maybe yesterday(?), at any rate, the videos are part of the evidence so the jury will have access to them. Being on vacation I've missed a lot of the trial so far....I try and hit some blogs and news outlets to keep up as much as I can but I'm sure I've missed some things.

~ The State's Case in Chief continues Day 13 ~
     First Witness - Sargent Kristin Brewer

Sgt Brewer's mark

Assistant State's Attorney Linda Drane Burdick (LDB) calls the state's first witness for the day, Kristen Brewer of the Osceola County Sheriff Department. Sgt. Brewer reported her own work history and background with search dogs before she testified to the training and history of her cadaver dog, Bones, as well as the logistics and results of Bone's search of the backyard at George and Cindy Anthony's home ,on Hopespring Dr., on July 17, 2008. LDB showed Brewer a photo of Caylee Anthony's playhouse in her grandparents' backyard, Brewer circles the area indicating where her dog was in the yard when he alerted.

Deputy Forgey's mark

Brewer's testimony follows up yesterday's testimony of Deputy Jason Forgey of the Orange County Sheriff's Office about his dog, Gerus, who searched and alerted on both the Anthony's backyard and Casey's Pontiac Sunfire. Brewer told LDB that after Bone's first search and alert, Deputy Forgey told her "Gerus" had alerted "within" 6 - 8 feet of "Bone's" alert in the back yard. Here is the picture Forgey circled of the same area of the backyard in previous testimony....looks pretty close to me. Hopefully the jury will have access to both pictures.

Jose Baez arrows on Brewer's mark

 During his cross examination of Sgt. Brewer, Jose Baez went to great lengths to get her to admit that 6 - 8' from where she had circled was over by the pool which is out of range in these pictures the red arrows are Baez artwork. (You can see the direct and the cross of Sgt. Brewer in parts 1 and 2 below.) 

 

I finally found a picture of the Anthony's yard.....check out the distance from the playhouse to the pool....wayyy more than 6-8' for sure,
they are on total opposite ends of the house! The arrow in this particular
picture is pointing at the shed but you can see the roof of the playhouse
at the corner of the house.

I've noticed the prosecution team has worked their way through the specific timeline of this case when presenting their case in chief, down to presenting this testimony in the same order as their dog's searched the Anthony home. Hopefully the state presenting their case in this manner will make it easier for the jury to focus on the timeline when they deliberate as well as go through the evidence.


I'm going to break right here because this is the point in the testimony that I had to leave my seat and go to the ladies room and take a pain pill. I have bad knees and while the seats themselves are padded and comfortable I have long legs and there is NO room to move my legs....to even attempt to cross them creates a hazard of kicking someone in the head. I'll be back with part 2.


Links to YouTube Video of day 13 of the testimony. 
Thanks to Sierra for posting these!

June 8, Day 13 - Part1
                            Part 2
                            Part 3
                            Part 4
                            Part 5
                          Part 6
                           Part 7
                          Part 8
                          Part 9
                          Part 10 
                          Part 11        Sphere: Related Content

Mark Jensen 2008 Murder Conviction Affirmed !

On December 29, 2010 the Wisconsin Supreme Court of Appeal filed their decision in  Mark Jensen's appeal of his 2008 conviction for the 1998 murder of his wife, Julie Jensen.

In it's decision the court stated, "Mark D. Jensen appeals from a judgment of conviction for the first-degree intentional homicide of his wife Julie Jensen contrary to Wis. Stat.  Jensen presents many arguments on appeal, none of which persuade. We affirm."

I included a link to the court's decision above for those anxious to read the decision for themselves. I do intend to write more about the ruling, after pondering it a few more times. It is lengthy. I just wanted to let you know that Mark Jensen's conviction and life sentence stands!

This case's status is now listed as PR, Pending Remittitur, due by January 28,2011.
(PR is case status indicating that a decision has been issued and the case is waiting for the case record, where one was filed, to be returned to the circuit court, or the file to be closed, if there is no case record.)

Given that the loss of Julie's life so outweighs any victory this ruling provides to Special Prosecutor Robert Jambois and his co-counsel Angelina Gabriele or Julie's loved ones, I don't know if congratulations are appropriate, but I hope that they all will have a long earned respite from the stress of this quest for justice that's been battled for over a decade. You have all done Julie's memory justice!
I will never forget the statement given by the prosecution after Jensen's conviction in 2008 and want to share it with you:

.
The Associated Press reports that Mark Jensen's attorney, Christopher Rose, says he'll ask the state Supreme Court to take the case.....not a big surprise. Sphere: Related Content

The Mystery Is Solved, Eric Preimesberger's Remains Are Found, The Quest for Justice begins

UPDATE 9/9- The preliminary hearing in this case has been continued until October 4, 2010 . Also, Kristi Preimesberger's attorney filed a motion for her to either be released on her own recognizance or to  have her bail reduced,  both were denied, so for now she remains in jail in Washoe County NV along with her brother Timothy Morgan.

*edited copy

Four months after Kay Wilson of New Mexico last spoke with her son Eric Preimesberger, 29, and his young children, she is finally getting answers to what really happened to her son and why her daughter-in- law Kristi left the state with her and Eric's children, cutting off all contact with Kay. 

The answers are certainly not the answers anyone wanted to hear, but there is no turning back time. Because the details of the story, for the most part,  have come from those who have been charged with killing Eric and covering up his death, and the criminal investigation continues, this story may change over time as more evidence is revealed. 

For now, this is what we know for sure, Tim Morgan, 25  is charged with a $1 million warrant for the murder of Eric Preimesberger, and his sister Kristi Preimesberger, 30 (Eric's wife of 7 years and mother of his 2 young children)  is being held on a $100,000 cash bail on a material witness warrant.

During Kay's last conversation with Eric and his children on April 20, they were excited about a move to Eugene,Oregon at the end of the month. I should note that even though both Eric and Kristi's parents live in NM and Eric, Kristi and their kids had been living in Reno, NV they spoke regularly on the phone. 

Eric and Kristi's brother,Tim Morgan, were planning to start a business  building and selling Yurts  up in Eugene. Work had been scarce in Reno for a while and that caused problems, although I 've heard their marriage has been stormy for some time. It seemed as though this move might  be a fresh start for the family. Eric also told his mother that he was glad Tim was coming to Reno to help them move, especially because his (recently injured) ankle was still bothering him. Things definitely did not go as planned.................or did they?

What really happened at the couple’s Red Baron Boulevard home, in Reno, between April 20th and 24th, aside from the fact Eric was killed, is still in question because of the changing and suspicious stories that Kristi told. 

For those not very familiar with this case, Kristi told Eric's family that she and Eric had argued because she was sick in bed and Eric felt "that" had ruined their anniversary on April 20. 

Later it's learned that Kristi had went to get dinner for the family from Applebee's and had not come back until the wee hours of the morning......so yes they probably did argue, especially if she told her husband the same story she told her mother. 

Kristi's mother, Karen, told Kay that Kristi had called her (in NM ) at 11:30 p.m. on 4/20  wanting her father's phone number. She said she needed to ask him about how to drive in a snowstorm. It's not clear if she made contact with her dad, but at 2:30 a.m. 4/21 Kristi called her mom's phone again but the call went unanswered because her mother was in bed.  The next morning , Karen called the number back. A man answered, when she said she had a call from his number he asked ,"Do you have a daughter named Kristi?" After she said yes, he told Karen that Kristi had knocked on his door and wanted to use his phone. He mentioned she wasn't properly dressed for the weather, so he let her in to use the phone and she left. It's not clear if Kristi left a message when she called her mom at 2:30 or told her this the next day, but Kristi claimed she got lost in the snowstorm, ended up at an apartment complex and walked around until she found a light on and knocked on the door asking to use the phone...... Here is another bizarre aspect of this story.....the weather summary  for 4/20 and 4/21 at  wunderground.com was Reno only had .57" precipitation over those 2 days, hardly enough to run your wipers let alone get lost.

Kristi said that after a heated argument Eric threw his cellphone along with the keys to his scooter at her and stormed off on foot, with just a backpack, saying they would never see him again.

I bring the reason for the argument up between Eric and Kristi because I wonder if this argument had anything to do with Tim showing up in Reno so soon, given that they weren't going to move until the end of the month. Could this incident have something to do with the argument between Tim and Eric? These are questions that we really don't know the answers to yet.

Although after April 20th there was no contact between Eric and his family or friends and the 20th was also the last day Eric (his user name was RuckRider) posted a comment at an online forum that he frequented named totalruckus.com,  there is some confusion over when Eric was last seen. Kristi said he was back and forth getting things from the house until the 24th.

Kay was suspicious hearing that Eric left without any means of transportation, especially his beloved Ruckus scooter, and more suspicious yet when he didn't make contact with any of his family or friends, but when Kristi didn't want to file a missing person's report and moved to Eugene just 8 days after she said Eric left, Kay knew something was wrong.


Kay filed a missing person's report with Reno PD on May 17. Within a month Eric's missing status was changed from missing adult to a suspicious endangered missing adult and the case was moved to the Robbery/Homicide division to allow more resources for what now was an interstate investigation.

By June 16, when the Oregon police tried to contact them, Kristi, the kids and her brother Tim were missing from Eugene as well. On July 2,  Kristi and Tim contacted their mother in NM and said they were safe, but wouldn't disclose their location. Kristi also contacted the police in Reno sometime in July, but gave the same information she had given before she left Reno, she said she had moved to Oregon because Eric had walked out on her and the kids, but in an action that garnered more suspicion, she refused to disclose where they were living. 

Valhall at "The Hinky Meter" has some very interesting information about Tim and Kristi's activities before they fled the Northwest for Minnesota, you can read what she has to say here.
I'll give you a hint of what to look for, in Oregon they used the aliases of Emmet and Mary. Like this story wasn't strange enough. ~insert katfish rolling eyes~

On August 13 Kay and her family received word, from a Homicide Detective with the Reno, NV police, that Tim and Kristi were in police custody in Minnesota. She was also informed that Tim confessed to killing Eric. This news didn't come as a total surprise to Kay, as she had learned on July 29 from a news report in Eugene, OR. that after the storage pod that Kristi rented in Reno had been found at a storage facility in Eugene,  cadaver dogs searched and  "hit" on the pod and a search warrant was executed. Police said no actual evidence was found during the search of the pod, giving Eric's family "a little" hope that Eric might still be alive.

Reno PD also told Kay that Eric and Kristi's children,ages 6 and 22 months, were safe and in Child Protective Services in MN. She was informed her grandchildren  would go to the custody of Kristi's mother, in New Mexico, per Kristi's wishes, as the only remaining parent of the children. While Kay would like to have the children herself, she was somewhat consoled that the kids are with someone they know and love. For some reason, at this point she hasn't been allowed to see her grandchildren.....that is just wrong in this writers opinion.....hopefully that will be rectified soon in the best interest of the kids....they have lost enough!

Timothy Morgan and Kristi Preimesberger  Mugshots,  photos courtesy  of Ramsey County Jail 

RGJ. com  out of Eugene has reported,

" Court records show that once Kristi Preimesberger was aware police in Oregon were helping investigate her husband’s disappearance, she fled to Minnesota with Morgan and her kids."

 * I've been told there is reason to believe that Tim (not sure about Kristi) stayed in Oregon until the end of July.....katfishponders hasn't heard why they ended up in MN of all places,
but the fact remains....... you can run, but you can't hide.....when you're a dumb ass.

According to PiPress in the Twin Cities," Timothy Wayne Morgan, 25, was arrested Aug. 10 at the Residence Inn by Marriott on Centre Pointe Drive on suspicion of felony drug possession, according to Roseville, MN police. He was later charged in MN with suspicion of being a fugitive from justice. His sister, Kristi Michelle Preimesberger, 30, was arrested Aug. 12 on suspicion of being a fugitive from justice and child endangerment.
 
Reno police charged him with the murder of Eric Preimesberger and Kristi is considered a material witness to her husband's killing, investigators said.

The narcotics arrest turned out to be a lucky break for Reno investigators, who had been looking for the brother-sister duo for weeks, said Reno police Lt. Robert Nuttall. Roseville police were called to an area hotel Aug. 10 on a report of a suspicious item left behind in a room used by Morgan and his sister. The two, along with Morgan's girlfriend and Preimesberger's two children, had checked out, said Roseville police Lt. Lorne Rosand."We sat on the room until someone came back," he said. Morgan returned and was arrested. Officers recovered a large amount of narcotics and seized a sizable amount of cash, Rosand said.

Investigators questioned Preimesberger and released her for the night. Rosand said the department put her up in an area motel so she could be questioned the next day about the narcotics. Police were not aware of the missing-persons case until they received a call the next morning from Reno investigators.

Rosand said Reno police were tipped off by Kristi Preimesberger's mother, who received a call from her daughter after Roseville police dropped her off at the motel. Reno investigators flew to Minnesota on Aug. 11 and interviewed the siblings. Kristi Preimesberger was arrested, and her children were placed in protective custody, Rosand said. He didn't know how long they had been in the metro area, but their stay involved multiple motel rooms and multiple cars, he said." 

Morgan and Preimesberger were extradited to Reno on Monday August 23 and are being held in the Washoe County Jail. During their first appearance in Reno Justice Court,Timothy Morgan and Kristi Preimesberger were given a Sept. 8 preliminary hearing date regarding the murder of Eric Preimesberger.

Kristi Michelle Preimesberger

The pictures at the left are of Kristi and Tim's mugshots in Nevada. Notice a little difference? In the Minnesota pictures they are both glassy eyed and most likely high.....the Nevada pictures have the appearance of addicts in withdrawal. Not a pretty sight! What is really ugly, is the thought about what Eric and Kristi's children have been exposed to the last four months.

Court records show that during an interview with police, Morgan said that after he struck Eric Preimesberger in the head twice with a bat, he and his sister moved his bleeding body into a laundry room. A few hours later, they realized he was dead. They then placed him in the back of a vehicle, where his rotting body was concealed for days while Morgan figured out what to do with him.

Timothy Wayne Morgan

The siblings never called police or summoned medical assistance.According to an arrest affidavit, Morgan rented a moving truck and a commercial freezer, which he used to transport Eric's body. He dumped his body near Frenchman’s Reservoir, in Plumas County, California (about 38 miles NW of Reno, and 8 miles from the nearest town ) before taking the freezer to another location and burning evidence related to the crime.

Detectives found the remains of Eric Preimesberger on Aug19. Police allege Morgan killed Eric on April 24 during an altercation. No doubt the coroner or medical examiner will attempt to determine if Morgan's story matches up to the forensics obtained from Eric's remains. The state of Nevada will be cremating Eric's remains and hopefully assist in returning him to his family in New Mexico.

Arrangements have not been made yet, although Eric's mother said they are in the process of planning a celebration of Eric's life for the near future.

 Katfish.....ponders will continue following this case. When this goes to trial it seems like a good case for TruTV's InSession to cover. NV does allow cameras in the courtroom. Depending how the defendants plead in this case, it could be a few years before a trial happens. Any ideas how we can bring this to the attention of the producers at InSession?
* This post has been edited, katfishponders was notified that even though the msm reported Kristi worked as a stripper, while that was true in the past, she didn't work "dancing" in Reno. It was also brought to my attention that Tim was definitely in Oregon at the end of July, a fact that can be established by an encounter with police. 

Please feel free to notify me if you see something published here that you think might not be correct. I strive to provide accurate reporting here but sometimes I have to rely on what is reported in the news and they don't always "get it right"; therefore,  I'm glad to correct or amend something posted on katfishponders that isn't accurate. You can reach me through the e-mail on my profile page.

Sphere: Related Content

The Search For Stacy Peterson Continues

The Illinois State Police (ISP) have returned to West Central Illinois for a third attempt at finding Stacey Peterson in as many months. Police investigators and dive teams spent five hours Monday, August 23, in Knox County lake, following up on a tip in the disappearance of Stacy Peterson. Earlier this month, investigators searched in rural Knox County and investigators also searched a rural area near Peoria in June in connection with the same tip Click here to read about the June search.

 
Investigators searched the waters of Lake Storey following up on a tip concerning the disappearance of Stacy Peterson, the fourth wife of former Chicago area policeman Drew Peterson. Several divers searched a stretch of shoreline in Lake Storey near Galesburg. The small lake is just off Route 150. Assisting the ISP were members of the Galesburg Police Department dive team and the Department of Natural Resources.

''This is part of the Stacy Peterson investigation'', confirmed Illinois State Police spokesman Tom Burek.'' We're looking for evidence to follow up on a lead'.''The investigation lasted from roughly 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., said Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Tom Burek. ''The specifics of the lead, I can't really discuss. It's the same lead we've been working on since late spring'', Burek said after a police briefing on the search Monday in Galesburg.

Burek told WQAD, News 8 that ''nothing of significance'' was found in or near the lake.''You don't always hit a homerun'', Burek said. ''We're going to stay moving forward with this.'' For now, ISP has no immediate plans to return to Knox County.

Drew and Stacey Peterson in happier times

Investigators have also followed several leads in the Chicago area, conducting searches in the waters near the couple’s home. Stacy Peterson was a 23 year old mother of two young children when she disappeared in October 2007.No one has been charged in her disappearance, although Drew Peterson,56, is the only suspect in the death.

Peterson is also facing murder charges in the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.Savio's death initially was ruled an accidental drowning, but her body was exhumed and re-examined in 2007 after the disappearance of Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy. The onetime Bolingbrook, Illinois, police sergeant denies any wrongdoing in either case.

Drew Peterson pleaded not guilty to the murder charges and remains held in the Will County Jail on $20 million bond. That trial was scheduled to begin in July, but has been postponed, possibly for months, while the Prosecution appeals a decision by the trial judge to the IL Supreme Court. Circuit Judge Stephen White issued a ruling that keeps some witness statements out of court as hearsay.

CNN
Galesburg  Register- Mail Sphere: Related Content

Mark Jensen Awaiting Opinion/ Decision From Appellate Court

Mark Jensen

update 12/29/2010
 MARK JENSEN LOSES APPEAL


ORIGINAL REPORT:
Mark Jensen filed to appeal  his  first-degree murder conviction back in June 2008 but the appeal wasn't opened until April 2009. This week the appeal has finally been assigned to a three Judge panel with the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District 2. On June 24, 2010 all briefs were submitted and the case is now pending an opinion/decision.

Julie Jensen

 Jensen was convicted of first- degree murder in February 2008 for the Ethylene Glycol (antifreeze) poisoning of his wife Julie in December 1998. The case took 10 years to come to trial because of evidentiary issues, including a letter written by Julie several weeks before her death.

Julie gave the letter to a neighbor with instruction the letter was to be given to police in the event of her death. The letter detailed her suspicions that Mark may have been planning to kill her.This case has become widely known as "The case of the letter from the grave."

At the end of the murder trial Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder  ruled the letter was Julie's Dying Declaration. The WI Supreme Court had already ruled the letter was admissible under the "Forfeiture of Wrong Doing Clause" if Judge Schroeder, after conducting a forfeiture hearing,  found by a preponderance of evidence that it was likely Mark had killed Julie to keep her from testifying. With that ruling Mark forfeited his right to confront his accuser. Special Prosecutor Robert Jambois said in 2009 that he won't be surprised if this case makes it to the US Supreme Court because of the constitutional issues involved.

Katfish...ponders doesn't know how long it will take for an opinion/decision to be reached but I'll continue to keep a close eye on the case. Both parties have requested they be allowed oral arguments,  I assume that will be considered and hope it is allowed. There is a mountain of evidence to be considered in this case, so it may take some time. Mark Jensen was sentenced to life in prison with no chance for parole and is serving his sentence at the Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun, WI.

Click here to see earlier coverage at Katfish...ponders of this case and the appeal of the conviction. Throughout these entries are links to various legal documents, Julie's letter and the WI Court of Appeals website and media coverage. Here is a link to a site constructed by Julie Jensen's brothers in her memory. oursisterjulie.com It is a lovely tribute and a great one-stop place to learn about this case..

A final note, many have asked where Mark and Julie's son's are and about Mark's marriage to Kelly (LeBonte) Jensen.( Mark's mistress at the time of Julie's death and wife soon after.) On the memorial website Julie's brothers have a time line where they note that in April 2008, Kelly Jensen was named as legal guardian of Mark & Julie’s youngest son. (The older son is of legal age.) Julie’s brother was  granted co-guardian of his estate to insure money is properly set up for his future. In May 2009, Kelly filed for divorce from Mark. There are links to some of the legal documents about the divorce in the older entries here at Katfish....ponders. Sphere: Related Content

Search For Stacy Peterson Could Resume This Week

Stacy Peterson

Update- 6/15
Peoria Journal star reports-
Search for Stacy Peterson goes quiet    

Illinois State Police have said a search of the property would resume, though no timetable for a return to the land has been revealed.

Peoria County Sheriff Mike McCoy said Tuesday his department still is awaiting word from the lead investigators on the case.
"The Will County State's Attorney's Office and Illinois State Police District 3 said that when they return, they would contact us before they came," he said. "At this time, we're protecting the site, waiting to assist them when they return."
 Katfish....ponders will continue to follow up on this story.

 Original entry- 6/7

The main focus of this entry is the latest search for the remains of Stacy Peterson of Bolingbrook, IL. The 23-year-old mother of two small children has been  missing since Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007. 

The 2007 disappearance of Stacy Peterson, the fourth wife of a suburban Chicago police officer, Drew Peterson, triggered a media frenzy, especially after the investigation revealed Peterson's third wife, Kathleen Savio, had died under mysterious circumstances several years before.

In May 2009, Drew Peterson, 56,  was indicted by a Will County grand jury on charges of first-degree murder for the 2004 death of Savio. Peterson has plead not-guilty and awaits trial in isolation at the Will County Jail on a $20 million bond. The Savio murder trial is scheduled to begin on July 8, 2010. The grand jury continues to investigate the disappearance of Stacy Peterson.

Katfish...ponders hasn't written about either case before now, but I have been following them in the media and on blogs. I decided to write about this latest search because it is happening close to where I live.

There have been other searches over the past couple years including sending divers into murky Chicago-area waters.  I'm  hopeful  this search will yield some answers for the family of Stacy Peterson. In November 2007, Drew Peterson revealed that he had received an unsigned letter alleging Stacy Peterson had been spotted in Peoria. The letter, bearing a Peoria postmark, purported that a possibly pregnant Stacy Peterson had been seen in the Kroger store at the Madison Park Shopping Center. Police could never confirm that information.The fact Drew said the letter was sent to him instead of law enforcement makes me go hmmmm.... Bolingbrook is 140 miles from Peoria.

The Illinois State Police, Will County State's Attorney criminal investigators and several other police agencies arrived on the site, located in a rural area west of Peoria, IL  on Friday morning (June 4) after receiving what was deemed a credible tip.

The media reports as to the "source of the tip" to Stacy Peterson's remains has varied somewhat, and as with most breaking news stories other details have been conflicting as well, but I'll give you what information I've been able to gather from local reports and a little digging. Law enforcement has refused to elaborate on any of the details of the tip.

Stacy Peterson's family was alerted of the tip, and the Chicago Sun-Times reported that her family had arrived in Peoria on Saturday to await news.

 First, here is a Google map showing the location of the site being searched and the route to the Madison Park Shopping Center where Drew Peterson says Stacy was sighted. The two locations are 14 miles apart on a fairly direct route. I have also included pictures from Google of what the area being searched may have looked like in the Fall when the corn is up. I don't know if this area was harvested at the time Stacy went missing but you can see visibility is obscured from the road when the corn is up.
                                               

A = Big Hollow Sportsman's Club  

B = Madison Park Shopping Center 

The Peoria Journal Star (PJS) reported that a cadaver dog alerted handlers to human remains in the area sometime Friday. An anthropologist from the Dixon Mounds site in Fulton County was called in to aid with the search. Sources said the scientist was brought in to help determine whether the ground had been disturbed. Police didn't start excavating until Saturday.

As you can see in the picture above, the corn is much shorter now, however, no equipment or personnel were visible from the road. The dig site is located in a heavily wooded area a considerable distance off the roadway near Grange Hall and Trigger roads near Kickapoo Creek.

Dave Alwan, a local businessman, owns the property, which is adjacent to the Big Hollow Sportsman's Club. Alwan is not considered to be involved in Stacy Peterson's disappearance, police sources said. The PJS also reports their sources say there is no known connection between Drew Peterson and Peoria County, such as for hunting or social reasons.

Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Tom Burek

Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Tom Burek told reporters Saturday evening that investigators and an anthropologist had finished digging in a 10-foot-by-10-foot area on Dave Alwan's Echo Valley Farms property.

Anthropologist Alan Harn, the assistant curator for Dickson Mounds Museum who helped authorities search the central Illinois location for the remains of Stacy Peterson told The Associated Press on Monday that he excavated three sites on Saturday identified by cadaver-sniffing dogs but found no human remains, only opossum bones.

Harn said he believes authorities do have a "really good" tip. He's advised investigators to return to the area near Peoria with a device that gets images of what's underground. Harn says the tip about the site came from "a representative" of someone in jail. He declined to say more.

On Monday, Peoria County Sheriff Mike McCoy said, "I believe in talking with Will County and state police that we will work with them further concerning the site, the information they've gotten about this location and the way they got the information seems to make it viable." McCoy declined to say more about the investigation.

Rainy weather in central Illinois including several damaging tornados that struck in western parts of Peoria County on Saturday night has contributed to the delay in the search today but the search may resume as early as tomorrow, Tuesday, June 8.


 Investigators have pursued several tips about Stacy Peterson's disappearance over the years, and report they will continue to follow all leads. Drew Peterson's attorney, Joel Brodsky, called the most recent search "patently ridiculous." "Drew's position from day one has always been that she ran off with another man, because that's what she told him," Brodsky said. "This is just another in a long line of unsubstantiated rumors about Drew Peterson, all of which have proved to be false."

Katfish Ponders will continue to follow and report as this search proceeds.

Here is a link to a CBS News report  from December 2007 which details many of the circumstances surrounding the early days of the investigation into Stacey Peterson's disappearance....

As I stated above, Stacy Peterson's disappearance brought renewed interest in Kathleen Savio's death. Here is a link to a CNN report that offers more details surrounding Savio's death and the eventual arrest of Drew Peterson. Sphere: Related Content

Jailhouse Connections And Investigations - Continuing.... The Justice For Caylee Anthony Saga -

Casey Marie Anthony  is a 24 year old Orlando, FL woman who has been held without bond at the Orange County Florida Jail since October 14, 2008 when an Orange County Grand Jury handed down a seven count Bill of Indictment . The charges brought in the indictment against Anthony  in relation to the Death Investigation of her 2 year old daughter, Caylee Marie Anthony  are as follows :

CMA #08049710

  

1 count - First-Degree murder

1 count - Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child

1 count - Aggravated Child abuse

4 counts- Providing False Information to a Law Enforcement Officer

The first degree murder charge is a capital offense and the possible penalty is Life In Prison Without Parole (LWOP) or the Death Penalty.

Casey Anthony is housed in what the Orange County Florida jail calls Level 1 protective-custody in Dorm L. When Casey was arrested for the murder of her daughter Caylee, the Orange County Sheriffs Office (OCSO) decided that she needed additional protection above and beyond what other prisoners that are housed there require. Most prisoners in a high profile case are held in protective custody, but  no doubt the public's hostility towards Casey Anthony after learning most everything she told law enforcement about Caylee's disappearance was a  lie and that she didn't report her daughter missing for a month  factored into her Level 1 Protective Custody status.

We have been told when it comes to protective custody, few people are guarded as closely as Casey Anthony. She resides in her jail cell for most of the day and is not allowed contact with any other prisoners. She is also not allowed to watch TV in her cell, but she is allowed one small transistor radio, which she bought at the jail commissary. The short time each day prisoners in protective custody are allowed out of their cell  is to shower, get books, make phone calls, or watch TV in a "community" day room  for individual use by those in protective custody (other than visits with their lawyer or court hearings). There is also scheduled visitation time (once or twice a week?) but Casey refuses all visitors.


While no contact with other prisoners is an important part of protective custody, in all of the cases I have followed ( not just in the OCJ ), prisoners find a way to break the rules and communicate. Let's face it, all they have is time to try and figure ways around the rules. This case is no exception.

During a pretrial hearing on March 18, 2010, Ninth Judicial Circuit Judge Stan Strickland unsealed an
  IN CAMERA SEALED MOTION TO DELAY DISCLOSURE   that he has allowed the State to keep under wraps for the previous month while they conducted an investigation.Judge Strickland unsealed the motion because he said that the investigation into this information has almost concluded.

The State's motion (link provided above) advised the court that the State had been informed the defendant, Casey Anthony has made a few friendships while in jail and had written and passed 50 letters to one of the inmates against jail rules, possibly with a guard's help. The State's Attorney Office (SAO) said the letters are not a confession, but appear to contain relevant statements of the Defendant. The motion also advised that based upon the past history of this case and in anticipation of accusations of misconduct by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the State Attorney requested that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (F.D.L.E.) take over the investigation of the communications between the Defendant and these witnesses.

Under the FL Sunshine Law, once the state turns over discovery to the defense, the discovery becomes public documents, unless ordered sealed by the judge ( for example: the video in the jail medical clinic of Casey's reaction to Caylee's remains being found has been withheld ). Judge Strickland gave the defense 15 days to look over the letters and decide if they would seek to have them remain under seal.
Anthony's defense chose not to fight the release of the documents. I'll discuss what's in the jailhouse letters and my thoughts on the contents of the letters in my next post that will be titled "Muffin and Cookie Plan A Road Trip".

In the rest of this post I'd like to give you a better understanding of the physical layout of Dorm L where Casey has been bunking for most of the last two years.  I did some research so that I can give you a more complete introduction to Casey's jailhouse friends and also got some of the legal documents involved in Robyn Adams case which I have linked in this post  It also seems important we cover some of the background of the F.D.L.E.'s investigation.  Most of the information about the investigation can be found in the OCSO Supplemental Report to Jailhouse Letter


~The Investigation~

A Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation found that Casey Anthony, Maya Derkovic and Robyn Adams became friends while they were in protective custody in the female detention center, Dorm L, which is where jail guard Silva Hernandez worked.  Here is a copy of the floor plan for Dorm L :

Orange County Jail, Woman's Detention Center, Dorm L

The dorm consists of a control center at one end of the dorm and facing the communal day room that resembles a classroom. The inmates cells are lined around the day room and consist of two levels. Inmates that are in close proximity to each other are able to communicate through the ventilation system. Robyn Adams explained it is possible for communication through the vents between any of the cells but the further away you are the louder you had to speak, so she and Casey didn't communicate "via the vents ".

 Casey Anthony was originally arrested and placed in protective custody on July 17, when she was arrested for lying to law enforcement  in the days after Caylee was reported missing. Adams was arrested on July 21 and placed into protective custody because her husband was a police officer.( I'll tell you more of the details of Adam's arrest in a bit.) Anthony remained in jail for about a month until California bounty hunter, Leonard Padilla assisted in getting her released on August 20, 2008. This is the first time when Adams and Anthony were in Dorm L together, but didn't form a relationship beyond a wave. ( For the sake of being thorough I should tell you
Anthony was arrested again, this time on economics charges on August 29 and bonded out on September 5. Anthony was arrested for more economic charges September 15 but was out the next day.) Adams wouldn't see Anthony again until she was arrested on October 14. During the time Anthony was out, Adams decided to agree to a plea deal in her case on September 25, 2008. Adams was sentenced in January 2009 and moved to a federal prison in August of 2009. Maya Derkovic was housed in the Orange County Jail with Casey Anthony during the latter parts of 2008 to the beginning of 2009.

   ~ Friends Made In Jail, May Turn Out To Be "Friends From Hell"~

Maya Derkovic mugshot

Maya Derkovic, then 18, was originally arrested on January 28, 2007 for armed carjacking. Derkovic identified herself as a full member of the 3rd World Rolling Sixties gang (a spin off of the West Coast Crips ) within minutes of her arrest.You can read more here about her arrest for the armed carjacking and how she came to be involved in and charged for the death of a 15 year old girl, who Derkovic admitted she choked
while two fellow gang members held the victim's arms in an act of crude gang justice.. "Maya is a pretty established member of this group and has been for long time," said sheriff's homicide Detective Brian Cross of the lanky, 6-feet-2 teenager with a "Daddy P" tattoo on her neck, a souvenir of her time as a prostitute in Miami. Derkovic first joined a street gang several years ago when her family lived in South Florida. Born in Bosnia, she went by the nickname "Luda," which means "Crazy" in her native language,
Derkovic's mother, who did not want to be named to protect her younger children's identity, has visited the jail regularly since her daughter's arrest. After years of trying to control her daughter's misbehavior, she said her daughter must accept responsibility for her actions, whatever they were and whatever punishment faces her. " Taking somebody's life is something I cannot imagine any child of mine doing. I can't imagine what that other girl's mother is feeling," she said. "For my child it is too late. If she did it, she's going to have to deal with herself. Someone else may learn from what happens to her."  (Hmmmmm, no comment!)
Derkovic, 21, is serving a 30-year sentence at Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala, FL for murdering 15 year old  Jackie "Angel" Curtis three years ago.

Robyn Adams mugshot

Robyn Adams and her husband Clay were arrested on federal drug and gun trafficking charges on July 22, 2008.Clay Adams lived two lives: one as an Altamonte Springs cop of nine years, the other as a painkiller-addicted, marijuana grow-house operator who was scheming to kill a former supervisor.

That's how authorities described it when Adams, 36, and his wife, Robyn, 32, were hauled into federal court in Orlando on drug and weapons charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Bodnar sought to have the couple  (who could face up to life in prison if convicted on all charges) held without bond, noting both made threats to a police informant and others.

The 35-page Criminal Complaint describes in detail how investigators say the Adams' stockpiled weapons, sold drugs and gave sensitive police secrets to criminals.

According to the complaint,  Robyn Adams used her position at an orthopedic surgeon's office to get Oxycontin which was then sold across the state. The complaint also detailed how Adams approached an informant to partner in a marijuana-growing operation. That person tipped off City-County Investigative Bureau (CCIB) agents, who brought the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and ATF into the case. After the informant rented a home for the operation, Adams and his wife set up hydroponic equipment in the residence and provided marijuana seeds.Adams provided the informant with drivers-license photos, undercover aliases and real names of drug agents and CCIB officers, along with the descriptions of their vehicles. Adams also supplied weapons and prescription drugs to the informant, a convicted felon.
Gunning wrote, Adams told the informant that he joined CCIB earlier this year to learn investigative methods on how to detect marijuana-growing operations.

When Clay Adams was  removed from a position on an undercover unit, investigators say he snapped. Adams advised [the informant] that he will let the issue cool off for a couple of months and then 'take [the supervisor] out' when he least expects it, utilizing a .308-caliber rifle equipped with a silencer," Gunning wrote.
Both husband and wife confessed and entered into plea agreements.He pleaded guilty to five federal charges, including conspiring with his wife to grow 2,200 pounds of marijuana. Robyn Adams pleaded guilty to two charges: conspiracy and a weapons count. The pair were sentenced on January 9, 2009. She is now serving an eight year sentence at a Federal prison in Tallahassee, FL and will be on supervised release for ten years after. Clay Adams was sentenced to seventeen 1/2 years and is serving his time in a Texas federal prison.

 More Of The Investigation~

It was Derkovic who first approached law enforcement about her and Adam's contact with Casey Anthony.
In Derkovic's sworn statement, she told authorities she and Anthony would talk through the ventilation system. (I haven't been able to determine exactly which cell Derkovic was in from the floor plan, but her cell was on the same side as Anthony.) I won't go too far into Derkovic's claims about those vent talks in this post, mainly because I'm not sure I believe her and really want to devote more space to Adams and Anthony, and just how their relationship developed.


Adams told the F.D.L.E. investigator her cell (#19) was across from Anthony (#12) and they would smile,  wave and give hand signals through the window on their cell doors, or when one was out in the day room. She said it was just a way of offering support to each other. They would signal if they were ok or not, that they were praying for each other, that sort of thing was the extent of their communication at the time. Adams said that she felt Anthony came to trust her because she smiled and didn't yell taunts at Casey like the other inmates did.

Shortly after they began their communication, Adams was moved to another cell (#27) on the same side of the dorm as Casey but on the upper level. Shortly after the move, Anthony signaled to Adams (from the day room) that she would leave her a note in a green hardback book called, " Do Away With August", from then on they used that book to pass notes (same type of stuff as they had communicated by hand signals before) and eventually the letters.
.

When asked by the investigators to elaborate on how her communication with Casey evolved into talking to each other, Robyn Adams explained that the even number cells took their turns coming out for showers, day room / TV time, etc. during the day and the odd numbers were let out night. She said after a while she started helping the guards out a bit, cleaning showers, fold laundry, whatever and as much as the guards would allow her to do. When Adams was folding laundry in the day room they were able to " kinda lip talk" and hand signal as they had before, but in closer proximity.

Adams says she started asking "Shannon", (this was the name she and Casey assigned Sylvia Hernandez because her uniform said," S. Hernandez" ) " Hey, can I go give her a book? Can I, can I just go over there you know talk to her through the glass?" Adams said after a while this just became a routine when "Shannon" was working. I would say, "Hey, I can't hear her, can I just go see what she's saying? Can I go closer, that type of thing."

Adams said it never got to the point that she just took it for granted she could approach Casey's cell, and "Shannon" did not receive any type of compensation for allowing the communication between the two. There was no gain in it for her, she just treated us as "people". People in confinement for a long period of time who needed human interaction. When asked point blank if there was any type of sexual relationship between any of the three (Anthony, Adams, Hernandez) Adams replied, "I strongly believe it was strictly that she just felt bad. She felt bad. There was nothing for her to gain from it except for being human and having someone to talk to." ( I guess that means no sex. LOL)

Next the investigators asked Adams how frequently she and Anthony were allowed to spend time together, how long were they allowed to talk, and were there times you were allowed in the same cell together? Adams told them the contact with Anthony took place after the other inmates were done showering and placed in "lock". The contact took place every night that Hernandez was on shift (4-5 nights a week) and they were allowed to talk anywhere from a few minutes to hours. Their contact ranged from speaking through the bean hole (food tray slot) in the cell door to spending time in the same cell. (Hernandez allowed Adams to cut Casey's hair on one occasion. WTF?)

On March 9, 2010 F.D.L.E. conducted an interview of Sylvia Hernandez about the communication between Casey Anthony and Robyn Adams. This interview was independent of any investigation being conducted by OCSO. Hernandez told investigators she hired on with Orange County Corrections in January of 2008 and worked the "B" two shift (6pm-6am) with the standard law enforcement rotation of 3 days on 2 days off in the Female Detention Center (FDC) Lima Dorm (Dorm L).

Hernandez explained that Lima Dorm is basically a confinement dorm where you have inmates for disciplinary, protective custody, special management (medical or pregnancy), psychological  inmates for evaluation counseling and suicide precautions.There were usually 30-35 inmates in Lima dorm while Adams and Anthony were both in custody there, although they were the only two who were in protective custody status. Most inmates came and went , but Adams and Anthony as protective custody, were stationary.

Hernandez admitted she was aware of written communication between Anthony and Adams, but made no attempt to stop the communication.Hernandez also allowed Adams and Anthony to have face to face contact at Anthony's cell door, but denied allowing them to spend time together in the same cell. Hernandez admitted she allowed Adams to cut Anthony's hair on one occasion.

When Hernandez was questioned about having a relationship (sexual) she denied that but admitted she had written to Adams after she was sent to Tallahassee. She also admitted she attempted to assist Adams in retaining counsel for her case by providing her with names of local attorneys and on one occasion approached Anthony's counsel on behalf of Adams.

Hernandez told investigators that she spoke to Anthony "a few times" about her case. One conversation took place when it was being reported that Caylee's bones may have been found in the water at Blanchard park, but turned out it wasn't Caylee. According to Hernandez, Anthony told her investigators were "not looking in the right place" and it's right in their face but they're"not looking in the right place".

At the end of the report F.D.L.E.Investigators stated they thought Robyn Adams seemed to be truthful and forthright about her involvement with Casey and her role in creating and maintaining the evidence in question. Adams showed a great deal of emotion associated with her current sentence, her friendship with Anthony, the loss of Anthony's child and the moral dilemma of providing information pertaining to Sylvia Hernandez, because they had formed a friendship. The information was also consistent with the information in the letters between her and Anthony. The investigators stated in their report they think Hernandez was less than truthful during her interview but her actions didn't rise to the level of violation of Florida statutes. Wonder which one if any of them the State will use in the trial?

When Casey Anthony was arrested on July 16, 2008, little did she know even though her daughter was gone forever that she would soon have a " new sister". A sister who she could share (most) all of her confidences with and not be judged because in her own words, “We have so very much in common , both the good and the bad”.
Check back and we'll talk more about the information in the letters and the conversations between Casey Anthony and Robyn Adams, there is a LOT to talk about.
 :)
wesh
Sphere: Related Content