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Merged Jeffrey MacDonald did it. He really did.

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Innocence Project

"The Innocence project needed about twenty years to overcome some less than brilliant police work."

DARTH: If you're implying that there is a tangible comparison or connection between that case and the MacDonald case, you're mistaken. Outside of the JFK assassination, the MacDonald case is the most thoroughly investigated murder case in history. It is unquestionably the most litigated murder case in history. The CID's original investigation had its share of mistakes, but there is no proof that the physical evidence that led to MacDonald's conviction was contaminated or altered in any way.

The CID then embarked on a massive two year reinvestigation (e.g., 1970-1972) which included the FBI analyzing several key evidentiary items. In 1974, the FBI became more involved in this case and their forensic analysis led to MacDonald being indicted by a Grand Jury in 1975.

Barry Scheck is a DNA consultant for MacDonald, but MacDonald is NOT a client of the IP. It is telling that the Innocence Project will not put forth a position on MacDonald's guilt or innocence. It appears that the IP is using the MacDonald case as a way to place more significance on unsourced trace evidence in non-rape cases.
 
Defense/Government Briefs And Final Vision

The Defense has until the middle of February to file their brief on the September evidentiary hearing. The Government then has 60 days to file a response brief. It appears that Judge Fox will not decide on the merits of the arguments put forth at the hearing until the late Summer/early Fall of this year.

I would also like to give a shout out to Joe McGinniss' follow-up to the iconic FATAL VISION. McGinniss produced a 22,000 word e-book entitled FINAL VISION. It is fantastic and can be purchased on Amazon for 4 dollars.

http://www.macdonaldcasefacts.com
 
Agreed

KATIE: I agree. MacDonald is not simply guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, he is guilty beyond ALL doubt. The prosecution presented over 1,000 evidentiary items at the 1979 trial and that was only about 60 percent of their case file. This included blood, hair, fiber, bloody footprints, and bloody fabric/non-fabric impression evidence. The government also destroyed the defense at the September evidentiary hearing, so it is no surprise that the defense is asking for a 2nd delay in filing their brief on the hearing.

http://www.macdonaldcasefacts.com
 
JTF said:
I would also like to give a shout out to Joe McGinniss' follow-up to the iconic FATAL VISION. McGinniss produced a 22,000 word e-book entitled FINAL VISION. It is fantastic and can be purchased on Amazon for 4 dollars.
Click to expand...

Read it. ($2.99 now.) Well done rebuttals to MacDonald' s legal maneuverings, his claims about McGinniss & Fatal Vision, & Errol Morris' book. Excellent addendum to Fatal Vision. Highly recommend it.

Astonishing, the revelations about Segal' s lies to Judge Dupree regarding Helena Stoeckley during the sidebar discussions. It was a little disappointing, too, that the highly respected Wade Smith failed to step up & call Segal on it. Understandable, but still disappointing.
 
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Cold-Blooded Killer

In the past several days, I've been perusing through the September hearing transcripts and an interesting piece of information caught my eye. During his closing arguments, government attorney Brian Murtagh stated that the limb hair sourced to Jeffrey MacDonald found clutched in his wife's left hand had debris adhering to it. This included an unspecified fiber, blood, and "unknown" material. In addition, Murtagh stated that the hair was inculpatory due to the FACT that it was broken at one end and the broken end was bloody. Murtagh proved beyond ALL doubt that the only hairs found at 544 Castle Drive that were forcibly removed belonged to members of the MacDonald family.

http://www.macdonaldcasefacts.com
 
A Legal Beating In 60 Days

The defense FINALLY filed their brief on the September hearings. If Gordie knew how to copy and paste, he wouldn't have needed to ask for any delays. This bloated brief is simply a combination of three things...

1) Bernie Segal's final brief prior to the 1984-1985 appellate hearings before Judge Dupree.

2) Harvey Silverglate's final brief prior to the 1990/1992 appellate hearings before Judge Dupree/4th Circuit Court.

3) The content of Gordie's closing arguments at the 2012 evidentiary hearing before Judge Fox.

The government destroyed the evidentiary arguments presented by the defense in 1984, 1985, 1990, and 1992. In essence, the government also destroyed the 2012 defense presentation during their closing arguments at the hearing, so they now merely have to put that on paper. The government's May response brief will be a clinic on how one dissects a brief filled with distortions, half-truths, hype, innuendo, and falsehoods. Inmate and his rotating band of lawyers gave it their best shot, but as they would say in Boston, it's OVA.

http://www.macdonaldcasefacts.com
 
Perfect Strategy

In re-reading some of the testimony put forth by Butch Madden and William Ivory, I noticed that the government focused on links between past and recent events in this case. For example, on direct, Leslie Cooley questioned William Ivory about the polygraph examination of Greg Mitchell. Once Ivory stated that Mitchell passed the polygraph exam, Cooley asked Ivory whether he was aware of the fact that Mitchell's DNA was not found at the crime scene.

Ivory acknowledged that he was aware of the AFIP's DNA test results which excluded Mitchell as a source for hairs found at the crime scene. The government used a similar strategy on Blackburn's alleged threat to Stoeckley by consistently getting affirmations from Madden that Stoeckley NEVER mentioned this alleged threat to him or anyone else he interviewed. Big thumbs up to Brian, John, and Leslie for a job well done.

http://www.macdonaldcasefacts.com
 
Jeffrey MacDonald Is Guilty Beyond All Doubt

The government asked for a 30 day delay in filing their post-hearing response memo. Their unopposed request was granted by Judge Fox. Considering that the defense asked for THREE delays in filing their memo, the decision was a no-brainer for Judge Fox. The government's rationale for the delay was three-fold.

1) The defense memo was over 120 pages long, so the government wanted enough time to debunk ALL of their dubious claims.

2) The complexity of the "evidence as a whole" ruling by the 4th Circuit Court in 2011.

3) The government wants to include the evidence they presented at the 1979 trial in their memo. Judge Fox admitted at the hearing that he is not well read on the evidence presented at the trial, so the government is going to go over that evidence in their response memo.

IMO, it was sound strategy by the government to give Judge Fox a heads-up on the fact that a portion of their response memo will go over the evidence presented at the 1979 trial. In essence, the government is stating, "You want evidence as a whole, we'll give you evidence as a whole." The government's post-hearing brief is due on 7/1/13.

http://www.macdonaldcasefacts.com
 
Really, this is no surprise to those of us who've been paying attention all these years. He killed his wife and 2 young daughters in a horrible brutal fashion. Hope he rots in prison, which is what it appears will happen.
 
Nitpick: I don't see his guilt as being proven beyond any doubt just beyond and reasonable or probable doubt.
There are many unreasonable scenarios that could explain MacDonald's family's deaths without him being responsible, aliens, time travellers, doppelgangers, parallel universe. It's just that none of them are even remotely reasonable and can be ignored.
 
Truth And Justice

"There are many unreasonable scenarios that could explain MacDonald's family's deaths without him being responsible, aliens, time travellers, doppelgangers, parallel universe. It's just that none of them are even remotely reasonable and can be ignored."

CATSMATE: I'm surprised that MacDonald's rotating band of lawyers hasn't labeled any of the mythical hippie home invaders as aliens, time travellers, or doppelgangers. MacDonald and his legal minions have certainly tried everything else.

Despite 1,100 evidentiary items being presented by the prosecution at trial and MacDonald being convicted in less than 7 hours, this case won't go away. It is the most litigated murder case in history. The Errol Morris' of the world do their best to turn an open and shut case into a conspiracy involving the Army, FBI, and DOJ.

As Joe McGinniss once said, "Fact is fact, and when it cuts this deep, it cannot be overcome by hype." MacDonald has had 8 bites of the legal apple, but it appears that his time is running out. He has spent 32 of the past 34 years in prison, and if the truth and the appellate courts can co-exist, MacDonald will remain in his cell at Cumberland until he is worm food.

http://www.macdonaldcasefacts.com
 
On the other hand just think of all the legal presidents and refinements that came out of this case. I'm sure it will be quite useful as a teaching tool for future lawyers and judges.
 
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