From CTH.....

Day 2 – Mona Nelson Trial – The Blowtorch Killer
Posted on August 15, 2013 by sundance



The case is a bench trial. The defendant opted to have the judge decide guilt or innocence. The trial is expected to last two weeks.

...more at link
http://theconservativetreehouse.com/201 ... ch-killer/

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Mother describes effort to save her slain son
By Cindy Horswell | August 14, 2013 | Updated: August 14, 2013 9:57pm

Angela Davis told a gripping story Wednesday about receiving cryptic phone calls from her 12-year-old son and a strange woman, racing home on her motor scooter that stalled and then breathlessly running the last 100 hundred yards on foot to her north Houston duplex.

But after fumbling with her key, she finally opened the door that Christmas eve in 2010 only to discover that her son had vanished seconds earlier.

...more at link
http://www.chron.com/default/article/Mo ... 731832.php

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Am I a bad person for not having the stomach to follow this one? I'm so conflicted... just getting started on basic facts almost brought me to tears*. I had to stop. But then I think this innocent little boy suffered what I can't even read, and on Christmas Eve, no less! And I sort of feel like I kind of owe it to him to be interested, to click those links, show the world someone cares about him other than his family and friends, kwim?

*I almost never cry irl, well, unless Rumpole is on a roll with the funnies, but those kind of tears I don't mind.

_________________
All posts are my own opinion and do not necessarily reflect the views of Random Topics. Differences are allowed here.

I know exactly what you mean, Liesel.

I did not start a thread when it hit the news again, but it is a case being discussed at many forums and I do remember when it happened... missing child then body found then suspect arrested.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Good morning, Rumpole!

And no one has any idea why she did it?

_________________
All posts are my own opinion and do not necessarily reflect the views of Random Topics. Differences are allowed here.

She is evil?

It's a "Hate" crime... but I don't suppose it will be tried as such

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Day 3 – Mona Nelson Trial – The Blowtorch Killer


Mona Nelson's 'dirty' shirt used as evidence at murder trial
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Katie McCall

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- On Wednesday, the mother of a little boy who was allegedly kidnapped and later turned up dead had to relive that day in court. On Thursday, Jonathan Foster's grandmother had to do the same.

In tears, Mary Gifford testified about Foster, her grandson, coming home to Texas after living with relatives in Mississippi and Missouri in 2010.

"We talked about him going to live with his mother. That's when he said that was his wish for his birthday. He was really, really happy. He was flourishing, he was complete," Gifford said.

.... more at link
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?secti ... id=9207626

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Not even if she said, "Because I hate white people." Nor would that tidbit ever be reported. You know, much like the entire case - mostly silence from the media, as far as I can tell. Of course, it's a 12 year old white boy who was tortured to death, not a black 17 year old drug abusing thug who attacked NW and beat the innocent NW's head into the ground until the thug was shot once and died minutes thereafter.

_________________
All posts are my own opinion and do not necessarily reflect the views of Random Topics. Differences are allowed here.

I could not imagine torturing anyone (except maybe Rumpole with super long, rambling pm's*) but wow... a child... a young child. We have two around that age. They are so innocent. The tooth fairy visited one last week. Every year for the last few years, darling hubby and I have reminded each other, "this may be our last year that Santa really visits." And we'll be saying it to each other again this year. They are so young. He was so young.


*Yes, I know the apostrophe isn't correct, but c'mon... the plural of pm is pms! And just cos Rumpole shakes his head and thinks it while reading, doesn't mean I have to help him out!

_________________
All posts are my own opinion and do not necessarily reflect the views of Random Topics. Differences are allowed here.

Good observation - I often use humor to avoid emotional upset. And this case is nothing but upset. There is no looking at it that's not horrific. Her conviction will do nothing to lessen the horror that someone like her lives among us. And she's almost certainly not the only one.

_________________
All posts are my own opinion and do not necessarily reflect the views of Random Topics. Differences are allowed here.

From CTH......

Mona Nelson Trial: The Blow Torch Killer – Prosecution Loses Line-up ID As Evidence – Trial Resumes Next Week
Posted on August 18, 2013 by sundance

In Houston Texas a middle-aged black woman named Mona Nelson kidnapped a 12-year-old white boy from his home on Christmas Eve 2010. She tied him up with string, then burned him with a blowtorch, and dumped his body in a ditch.

Nelson’s bench trial began last week – no jury (per her request).

The reporting on this story is scant at best, mostly local, and poorly done. The latest article about the trial is a testament to such horrid journalism – SEE HERE

The prosecution lost the affirmative eye witness lineup as evidence because Mona Nelson looked so masculine the police could not find similar looking females. Initially, because of her physique and appearance, the eye-witness thought she was a man. Against the backdrop of five additional females in a line-up looking like women, Nelson stood out like the brutal killer she is.

The judge has thrown out the line-up as evidence.

The defense asked the detective (who conducted the line-up) if he should have considered using men. The detective agreed it might have been something to consider. When the defense followed up and said: “why didn’t you“? The detective responded, ” I can’t imagine my position in this courtroom today if we’d have put five men in that lineup.”

The ABC article outlines the rest of the details, but watch the local news video at the link to understand the “burned carpet” evidence. It is about 12 foot square.
(available here) http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?secti ... id=9208528

....more at link
http://theconservativetreehouse.com/201 ... next-week/

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

I have to limit my attention to this case, too. But can someone tell me what lineups are supposed to be about these days? I thought they were supposed to be of individuals from the area that might fit the description, so could he have included both females and males, perhaps? TIA

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She is not where she was, she is not where she is going, but she is on her way...

Given her appearance, the defense was going to use basically the same tact regardless of the line-up, imo. The detective even said as much on the stand, kwim?

_________________
All posts are my own opinion and do not necessarily reflect the views of Random Topics. Differences are allowed here.

Hi, liesel,
I guess that is true. Wonder what would have happened if they did three lineups, one female, one male and one mixed?
I hope they have enough evidence without the lineup identification.
I haven't looked at much of the case background. It's upsetting. I don't want to understand some things that people do.

_________________
She is not where she was, she is not where she is going, but she is on her way...

Capital murder trial focuses on police dog evidence
Samica Knight
Updated at 12:32 PM today

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Prosecutors in the Mona Nelson capital murder trial continued their case, introducing evidence they claim connects Nelson to the murder of a 12-year-old southeast Houston boy.

A Houston Police Department K-9 sergeant testified that his police dog detected the human remains of 12-year-old Jonathan Foster. Nelson, the woman accused of killing and torching that young boy, sat quietly nearby during the testimony.

First on the stand on Tuesday morning, was Janet Bickel, who specializes in recovery dogs. Bickel testified that a few days after Jonathan was reported missing, she and her three cadaver dogs were called by HPD to come to evidence headquarters where all three dogs detected human remains from a pieced of burned carpet.

According to the state, Nelson, a welder, killed Jonathan, burned his body and then wrapped him in a piece of carpet. The defense claims Nelson is innocent and Foster was killed by his stepfather, who was initially a suspect in the case.

...more at link
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?secti ... id=9212280

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

New DNA evidence introduced in Houston woman's capital murder trial
Katie McCall
Updated at 04:41 PM today

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- New revelations are coming from testimony in the murder of a 12-year-old boy. Three forensic scientists took the stand on Wednesday, testifying about the evidence in the Mona Nelson trial. She's charged with capital murder. Prosecutors are pointing out newly introduced DNA evidence.

A Looney Tunes sweatshirt has been the focus of a lot of testimony in the trial of Nelson so far. Jonathan Foster's mother and a neighbor say it belonged to the murdered 12-year-old. Police testified they found it was in mona Nelson's garbage can, and on Wednesday, an FBI scientist said he found Nelson's blood and DNA on several areas of it.

Forensic examiner Shane Hoffman testified that a shoulder area tested "positive for blood...that matched Mona Nelson." Further testing turned up Nelson's "DNA on the collar and wrist areas" of the sweatshirt.

For one of the DNA tests, the witness even said the chance of it being anyone else's DNA was what's considered a statistical impossibility.

Prosecutor Connie Spence: "That is more than the entire population of the earth, right?"

Hoffman: "Yes."

In spite of the size of the child's sweatshirt, and the size of the defendant, defense attorney Alan Tanner suggested Nelson may have put it on:

Tanner: "Could it be from her possibly wearing that sweatshirt?"

Hoffman: "In some manner, the DNA got transferred to those regions."

Legal analyst Joel Androphy said it will be tough for the defense to explain the evidence.

"Powerful evidence for the state. All of this is very powerful evidence for the state. It's enough to legally convict, from a judge's perspective, this is enough to legally convict," he said.

...more at link
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?secti ... id=9213680

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Testimony in capital murder trial centers on autopsy of child's burned body
Katie McCall
Thursday, August 22, 2013

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Investigators took the stand again on Thursday in the Mona Nelson trial. She's charged with capital murder, accused of killing a 12-year-old boy.

For the first time we heard about the autopsy of Jonathan Foster, whose body was found face down in a ditch and severely burned. Dr. Paul Radelat, a pathologist testifying for the defense, admitted that he had not actually examined Jonathan's body, but merely viewed photographs of the boy's remains and read the forensic pathologist's report. He said we may never know what happened to Jonathan, but he was confident the child was neither strangled nor burned alive.

Dr. Radelat testified, "I believe he was dead by the time he was burned. & This child was turned into a piece of firewood. & I can't say with any certainty what burned him. & There is no clear-cut cause of death."

As for how the child died, there were some theories, but nothing stated as a fact

...more at link
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?secti ... id=9215358

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

I appreciate your efforts, Rumpole, but I can't read that. I just can't.

_________________
All posts are my own opinion and do not necessarily reflect the views of Random Topics. Differences are allowed here.