All Episodes Discussion

[walnutqueen]

Tonight's episode about medical marijuana is sure to become one of my "most memorable".  How many more decades of "anecdotal evidence" do those idiot Feds need before doing something - anything - to get with the program?  Back in the early 1980s my bioDad was suffering greatly from stomach cancer.  I brought him papayas and pot from Hawaii.  Because papaya is good for digestion and pot fucking WORKS!!!

 

All these excuses about not knowing the long term side effects?  You have an entire generatonal pool to test.  Yes, it may mess with short term memory and slightly affect the young brain - but not nearly as much as the myriad of proven bad side effects of all those drugs the big pharma is making a killing with (and killing us with).

[PepperMonkey]

I think the daughter is just one of those weird, innapropriate individuals, who probably rubs most people the wrong way.

 

The strangest thing about her to me was how she looked absolutely NOTHING like her mother. I mean, dd not favour her even a smidgen.

 

I figured it was the daughter in law and/or maybe the son and daughter in law because they kept showing her photo even early on in the episode. I'm glad the son wasn't involved and I'm glad the daughter was innocent as well.

 

I blame Dateline for adding the part about the fancy German sports car: it's like they wanted us to dislike her, and I'm not sure why.

[tobeannounced]

Anyone see "Dangerous Liasons"? Abigail Simon is a sick, lying woman.

Oh, that was definitely a most memorable.  What a bag o' nuts that woman is.  I mean, really?  You really think people are going to buy the BS you're peddling?  Especially when you texted all your friends and talked about how your boy toy made your heart flutter?  And her family was just as deluded.

[tobeannounced]

I honestly thought they were going to say the daughter was adopted; she appeared to fall that far from the tree.  But maybe she takes after dad.

Edited June 8, 2015 by tobeannounced

[editorgrrl]

"Dangerous Liaisons" originally aired Thursday, June 4, 2015, at 8 p.m.

When a 33-year-old Catholic high school tutor in Grand Rapids, Michigan is charged with having an illegal relationship with a 15-year-old student, her stunning defense leads to an emotional courtroom battle.

 

I laughed at the end when Abigail Simon said she should've plead guilty and served five months in jail. Instead, she admitted to having sex with a 15-year-old boy on multiple occasions but insisted she was the "victim."

 

She can't claim to have received poor legal advice—her father's a lawyer. Did they think a tutor raping a child is not a crime when the victim is a boy and the perpetrator a woman? Or did she refuse the plea deal because it required her to register as a sex offender—which would keep her away from young boys? (The show mentioned rumors this wasn't her first offense.)

 

There was zero suspense for me this episode—I couldn't even imagine a jury having reasonable doubt. There were more than 1,000 text messages. He was 15. She was in a position of authority. The relationship went on for months. He was 15.

 

The victim's still a minor. I was glad his mother refused to let Dateline show his face or name him.

[zxy556575]

Dear criminals: Always accept the plea agreement.

[biakbiak]

The daughter's manner didn't both me in context. The police conversations with her happened immediately after discovering her mom's stabbed body, the things she said were clearly her trying to come up with theories to explain how her mother came to be at the bottom of the stairs with a knife in her chest and was clearly saying anything that popped into her head including the inheritance thing. And than the interview with the show is after she spent time being the number one suspect with people screaming at her to be arrested while standing in her driveway and confronted with all her incriminating statements, I don't know how any person should act.

[ari333]

Thoughts? Did any of you guys see this eppy? Fishy circumstances surround Cal Harris when his (estranged) wife, Michelle Harris, "went missing " in 2001. There were three trials. No, really. The first one he (Cal, the husband) was found guilty.

 

Weird bits for me. THe babysitter and the wife's van. He was not shocked when the babysitter ran in the house and asked him if the wife was home and that she (babysitter) had found the wife's van, unoccupied, at the end of the long driveway. Husband didnt ask if there were keys. (He knew?) Just said "We have to go move the van."  No other questions? NO surprise or worry? According to babysitter who was giving her impression of the situation and I do understand that that is subjective. However, still interesting.... and fishy, imo.

 

Then later there was a mystery "witness" (in quotes) who "came forward" in 2007 having spotted wife and "young man" the night before she was allegedly murdered by Cal/husband. This prompted 2nd trial.

 

Second trial..... GUILTY.

 

Then for the third trial YES THIRD (new venue in a different, very small county, but where many people/residents knew Cal's name and knew he was .... rich etc.) The third trial seemed to be gearing up to vilify the dead woman.

 

Frankly, I was a little confused thru out the eppy. At first I was all ("was all" as the kids say) THE HUSBAND DID IT! Then I started almost wavering. Then I wavered back.....and forth...

 

Even in the heat of an argument who says to a spouse, "If I ever killed you, they'd never find your body." WHO SAYS THAT?

 

Third trial... two weeks in, jury cannot reach a verdict.... deadlocked. Then what? Ruling by judge - MISTRIAL. 

 

DA says that he wants justice and promises a FOURTH trial (given that the first two were ruled guilty, I get that)

 

And don't get me started on the blood -  FORCED spatter, not drops and dribbles like when you cut yourself chopping tomatoes.

[editorgrrl]

Aired Thursday, June 11, 2015, at 8 p.m.

After fourteen years, three trials and two earlier convictions, the mystery involving Owego businessman Cal Harris remains unsolved. The New York millionaire was charged with second-degree murder in the 2001 disappearance of his estranged wife, Michele, but denies any involvement. Keith Morrison follows the case that has riveted the nation and provides new insights into the family saga in candid conversations with Harris and his four children.

 

This was another updated episode. The original aired on Dateline NBC on Friday, Jan. 15, 2010. As you can tell from the florid language in the transcript, Keith Morrison was the reporter for that one, too:

There's a sprawling patch of wilderness in upstate New York, just over the Pennsylvania border. A couple of hundred acres owned by a prosperous local family. It's a wild patch, all right—a lake, dense woods, isolation, wind, and sky.

 

Gary Taylor: There's probably places up there that people haven't walked on in ten years.

 

It's a little piece of paradise. And, perhaps, a particular corner of hell.

 

The third trial ended on May 15, and Cal Harris is scheduled to appear in court on August 12. Perhaps there'll be a fourth trial?

 

Yet again, I feel sorry for the kids. Their mother is dead, and they don't want to believe their father is responsible.

[partofme]

I've seen this case on many, many shows.  I'm convinced the husband is guilty.  Just look at all the blood that was in the garage.

[zxy556575]

I started watching and "Oy, Cal Harris again." Forwarded to the end to see if there was a verdict this time, but no. Seems like the odds go up for the defendant in every new trial, so I'm not optimistic for #4 even though I believe he's guilty.

 

I co-sign about the kids. From what we've seen, it's very rare for a child not to believe/side with the living parent despite all evidence to the contrary.

[tobeannounced]

Was there a lot of blood in the garage?  I don't remember that.  I did always wonder about the blood in the kitchen.  Wasn't it a very small amount?  I would think if you hit someone hard enough to break the skin and splatter blood, there would be blood elsewhere in the kitchen.  I assume they used Luminol (sp?).  I feel pretty sure they would have reported it if the kitchen had lit up like a Christmas tree.

[saber5055]

This case was all new to me, and I know a program can make an audience believe one side or another pretty easily, by presenting some evidence and not others. But I'm a firm believer the husband did it.

 

Questions not answered: Why was the van at the bottom of the drive? It was a long walk to the house. Did anyone check the van for blood? Have a cadaver dog sniff around the place and vehicles? 

 

The kids drove me nuts. They made it clear they had absolutely NO memory of their mother and were all about their father. I hated that speech by the daughter that used meaningless catch phrases like "travesty of justice." Just what was a travesty of justice? Plus they were crying, we'll have to live our lives without our father. Well, your father should have thought of that before he killed  your mom.

 

If someone cuts their finger (yeah, right) and it splatters on the kitchen rug, wouldn't that rug have been washed? It was just a rag rug so no big deal. And all the blood in the garage ... the one defense guy said people waking through it, IF THEIR SHOES WERE WET, could have diluted it. Yeah, maybe, but it would still test DNA positive for Michelle's blood.

 

If someone cuts themselves enough to have blood splatter on the rug and walls, that person would have grabbed a tissue/towel and wrapped the cut up right away, then bandaged it so it would have been obvious at work, or they would have had stitches (documented at the ER) if it were really bad.

 

Where was the interview with the boyfriend, the last person who saw Michelle alive?

 

So that guy comes forward years later to say he saw Michelle with some guy who drove a black truck. WTH was he years before? And why didn't Dateline track the truck guy down and interview him? And if he killed Michelle, how did he do it inside the garage/kitchen? And the guy was delivering hay in the pitch black and yet he saw the guy clearly enough that the guy gave him an evil stare? And Michelle was crying? What, was the guy going one mile an hour? So bogus.

 

So many unanswered questions. What a waste of time to have this guy be tried a FOURTH time.

 

And no, no luminol was used to check for blood splattered that had  been cleaned. What was up with that? No luminol, no dogs ... the heck? 

 

I think Michelle's notes about what her husband told her he was going to do were pretty proof positive. He was portrayed as a rich guy who wanted control and his own way all of the time, and looks like he's getting it still. Is he even in jail?

Edited June 12, 2015 by saber5055

[editorgrrl]

I think Michelle's notes about what her husband told her he was going to do were pretty proof positive. He was portrayed as a rich guy who wanted control and his own way all of the time, and looks like he's getting it still. Is he even in jail?

 

Nope. He was released after the third trial last month, and is scheduled to appear in court in August.

[LakeGal]

I've seen several versions of this case.  I always come out believing the husband is guilty.  I know one version I saw they were sure the rich husband paid the surprise witness to come forward.  Who remembers those details years later?  He said she was looking down but yet at night he could tell she was crying and identify her.  How much of her face did he really see?  I don't believe he was there at all.  I think he was paid to be a witness.  All the blood in the kitchen and garage. The strange reaction about the van,  The threat of her body never being found.  It all adds up to guilty to me.  

 

I was just happy to have Keith back.

Edited June 12, 2015 by LakeGal

[Ohmo]

I haven't seen Dateline's version of this case, but 48 Hours has done several updates.  I don't know if it'll ever be able to be proven, but I do think he did it.  There's something so incredibly smug about Cal Harris.  I just don't buy that he's innocent.  I think he either destroyed Michelle's body somehow or has disposed of it in such a remote location that it hasn't been found.

Edited June 12, 2015 by Ohmo

[ari333]

I've seen several versions of this case.  I always come out believing the husband is guilty.  I know one version I saw they were sure the rich husband paid the surprise witness to come forward.  Who remembers those details years later?  He said she was looking down but yet at night he could tell she was crying and identify her.  How much of her face did he really see?  I don't believe he was there at all.  I think he was paid to be a witness.  All the blood in the kitchen and garage. The strange reaction about the van,  The threat of her body never being found.  It all adds up to guilty to me.  

 

I was just happy to have Keith back.

I thought too that it had, "paid witness" written all over it.

I haven't seen Dateline's version of this case, but 48 Hours has done several updates.  I don't know if it'll ever be able to be proven, but I do think he did it.  There's something so incredibly smug about Cal Harris.  I just don't buy that he's innocent.  I think he either destroyed Michelle's body somehow or has disposed of it in such a remote location that it hasn't been found.

Totally agree.

And, "Smug" is a generous understatement imo.

[ari333]

Aired Fri, 6.12.15

Frank Rodriguez, 41 yr. old (iirc) seemingly healthy, former Navy man was found dead on the bedroom floor his home. Body found by the wife/ aka "new bride"/ Angelina Morales, who was also military.

 

Initial coroner's report - couldn't find an obvious cause of death, natural or unnatural.

 

Frank, after getting a job as a teacher,  went to some place called, AngelGate, with students and became ill. Angelina took Frank to ER with stomach problems and he was told he needed rest and fluids.... no biggie. Discharged. Then a couple of days later he was dead.

 

There was talk of inappropriate activity between another person, Chad Holloway, (also military) and a student; and according to Angelina (and others)  threats were made regarding anyone (Frank, Angelina) pursuing that allegation and about the accusation in general. However, the allegations had been previously  investigated by LE  and were found to be baseless. 

.

Thoughts?

Edited June 13, 2015 by ari333

[applecrisp]

Thanks for starting this ari333.  It is so sad to me that this women just wanted the insurance money.  He was a good guy and would have made a good husband and dad for a sane, good person.  They were married only 5 months.  She had this planned and had a beef with the other guy.

 

It was so ridiculous that from the get go she mentioned poison.  She may have gotten away with otherwise.  

 

It was an interesting case.  Also we got to see on camera her lies, manipulations and ultimate downfall.

[ari333]

Thanks for starting this ari333.  It is so sad to me that this women just wanted the insurance money.  He was a good guy and would have made a good husband and dad for a sane, good person.  They were married only 5 months.  She had this planned and had a beef with the other guy.

 

It was so ridiculous that from the get go she mentioned poison.  She may have gotten away with otherwise.  

 

It was an interesting case.  Also we got to see on camera her lies, manipulations and ultimate downfall.

 

I know, right? I'm glad she messed up by over and over bringing up poison. She was greedy and too eager for the death certificate needed to collect the insurance money. "Um... flowers on the road," Gees.

 

SAD.

The cowboy dude who she had her eye on before Frank, and he rebuffed her, got lucky bc that so would have been him, im sure, if he had been married to her instead. Poor Frank. He seemed like a good person and the step-daughter, Autumn, seemed to love him. And even the ex husband, Autumn's father, seemed to like him, which says a lot imo.

PS

Frank was her fourth husband. We saw interviews with the one husband who is the father of their daughter, but it made me wonder about the other two. IF they're alive and well. Yikes.  

 

When I heard about the "milkshake" I thought that this case sounded familiar from some other show; but as I remembered it, the wife in that milkshake case had brought the "smoothie" to the husband at work. But it was antifreeze as well. Or maybe I'm misremembering.

 

Anyway, a stunning moment for me in this show was when they mentioned what Angelina said to her friend and confidant, "Paulmira," (sp?) who quoted Angelina as saying that she was "bored" with Frank shortly after the wedding, cheating on him, but that she didn't want to divorce Frank bc he had just gotten life insurance. WHA? Also, the friend said that she was on the phone with Angelina and she said that she was making a special milkshake for Frank. The friend asked, "Why? is he sick? " Angelina's response (according to the friend... who I did believe) was "not yet." Que scary music here. What kind of cold hearted snake can do that to a human being ? and especially someone you supposedly loved and someone you married? WOW. Also, it is additionally pure evil that she tried to frame Chad, an innocent person, for murder.

Edited June 13, 2015 by ari333

[ari333]

My PS was longer than my original post. :)

[jenkait]

Frank seemed like a sweet man, if probably a little naive.  As said above I was surprised even her ex-husband had good things to say about him!  He seemed to happy to have met Angelina and her daughter.

 

Man, if Angelina only watched Dateline she would have never made the mistakes she did!  The fact that she was married 4 times (and she seemed only like, thirtysomething) set off huge red flags to me.  She tried to have her friend killed, and also killed her baby?!  Autumn's sister, since it was the same ex showing looking at the baby's photo album.

 

I thought that guy Chad was going to punch Josh at one point!  (Josh kept asking, "did you say you were so mad you could shoot the person?" like yeah, it's not smart to say that, but look at what he's been put through, who wouldn't react with rage?)  He seemed like maybe an intense guy anyway, but I can't blame him for being so angry.  Being accused of being inappropriate with kids is the WORST thing that can happen to a teacher.  Even if the allegations are unfounded, it can still haunt him, as some people may continue to believe it.  Being accused of child molestation AND of murder by the same person?!  Good grief, no wonder he's angry!

 

BTW ari333, the milkshake sounded familiar to me too...I believe it was the ex-pat from Connecticut (with a brother who was also shady, or also died or something) living in Tokyo??  His wife gave him a milkshake with sleeping pills, I think.

Edited June 14, 2015 by jenkait

[walnutqueen]

OK, why did the cops not think antifreeze the second she mentioned Gatorade and cookies?  Because I did.  They always use Gatorade to deliver antifreeze.  :-)

[ari333]

OK, why did the cops not think antifreeze the second she mentioned Gatorade and cookies?  Because I did.  They always use Gatorade to deliver antifreeze.  :-)

 

That is scary to me that horrible people can learn things from these shows. On the upside, good people can learn things too, for protection. But shouldn't antifreeze have some sort of flavor, preferably really, really, hurl-BAD?

[JudyObscure]

I think antifreeze just has a sweet flavor which is why you have to be so careful not to let pets in the garage if you've spilled any.

Along with all the other reasons to despise this woman I hated the way she used Christianity to manipulate people -- beware of anyone who thinks they have "prophetic," powers.

[saber5055]

When I heard about the "milkshake" I thought that this case sounded familiar from some other show; but as I remembered it, the wife in that milkshake case had brought the "smoothie" to the husband at work. But it was antifreeze as well. Or maybe I'm misremembering.

 

 

 

I didn't watch this episode because when I heard antifreeze poisoning I thought it was a rerun. After reading here, turns out the other antifreeze program I saw was the man murdered his wife with it. He was making her special "shakes" for something or other. 

 

Scary to think this is now the way to go to kill someone. Warning: Make your own milkshakes and smoothies, people.

 

I think antifreeze just has a sweet flavor which is why you have to be so careful not to let pets in the garage if you've spilled any.

 

 

That used to be true, but I believe there is an additive in antifreeze now to prevent pets from drinking it like in the "old days." However, as a mixer it's obviously still deadly.

[ari333]

I didn't watch this episode because when I heard antifreeze poisoning I thought it was a rerun. After reading here, turns out the other antifreeze program I saw was the man murdered his wife with it. He was making her special "shakes" for something or other. 

 

Scary to think this is now the way to go to kill someone. Warning: Make your own milkshakes and smoothies, people.

 

That used to be true, but I believe there is an additive in antifreeze now to prevent pets from drinking it like in the "old days." However, as a mixer it's obviously still deadly.

 

 

This!!!

 

Yes and yes.

[walnutqueen]

That used to be true, but I believe there is an additive in antifreeze now to prevent pets from drinking it like in the "old days." However, as a mixer it's obviously still deadly.

 

Unfortunately, I think only a few states have made this additive mandatory.  :-(

[RedheadZombie]

Unfortunately, I think only a few states have made this additive mandatory.  :-(

 

Just as they add a foul smell to natural gas, it should be required to add a foul taste to antifreeze.

 

I rarely get outraged at these killers anymore, but the thought of this woman deliberately choking her baby to death with a pacifier .......  it would have taken several long minutes.  May she roast in hell.

[Ohmo]

I rarely get outraged at these killers anymore, but the thought of this woman deliberately choking her baby to death with a pacifier .......  it would have taken several long minutes.  May she roast in hell.

 

Amen to her roasting in hell.  Seriously.  Child abuse of any kind is heinous, but child abuse out of anger or neglect doesn't even occupy the same space as what this woman did.  She intentionally took the pacifier apart so that her BABY, who in no way could defend herself, could choke to death. What that poor child's father must be feeling.  Though he never said, I wonder if HE wants to kill Angelina?  I wouldn't blame him if he did.  I'm glad her other daughter is safe.  I wonder what miracle saved her from her demented mother?

 

Poor Freddie.  He wanted love but fell in love with the wrong woman.

Edited June 14, 2015 by Ohmo

[saber5055]

This show is still bugging me. I wish the show gave more details. Like did the police interview the person who received that supposed hay delivery? Everyone should remember what they were doing on 9/11 and I would remember a hay delivery, especially if it were pre-dawn, depending on where it was suppose to be going. Plus there would be payment records (a check) unless the purchaser paid cash. Giving us that info would have taken what, 30 seconds or a minute?

 

If black truck guy killed Michelle and had planned it, when he heard the truck coming down the road they could have hidden or gotten in the van or truck or something so they wouldn't be seen.

 

The show does color that "witness" as bogus, even without saying it.

[GreatKazu]

Just as they add a foul smell to natural gas, it should be required to add a foul taste to antifreeze.

 

I rarely get outraged at these killers anymore, but the thought of this woman deliberately choking her baby to death with a pacifier .......  it would have taken several long minutes.  May she roast in hell.

I read a couple of articles about this case and there was mention that the baby was given anti-freeze and when she was dying or already dead, the mother shoved the nipple part of the pacifier into the baby's throat. Testing for anti-freeze is not part of the normal testing done during an autopsy.

 

This woman was not at all pretty or attractive. I kept wondering how was it she was able to snag so many suitors.

Edited June 15, 2015 by GreatKazu

[editorgrrl]

This woman was not at all pretty or attractive. I kept wondering how was it she was able to snag so many suitors.

 

The show said Angelina Rodriguez targeted specific men, pretending to be what she thought they wanted. And she moved really fast—she met Frank in February; they married in April. According to the Los Angeles Times, Angelina got pregnant three months after meeting Tom Fuller, who became her second husband. (He's the father of both Autumn and the 13-month-old baby who died.)

Edited June 15, 2015 by editorgrrl

[Morbs]

When it came to the cops though she was hilariously bad at manipulating them.  I mean, saying she is extremely religious and prophetic and she has a great personal track record of being intuitive so they should just take her word for it that the other guy was the killer?  I bet her marks were pretty vulnerable and unhappy so she didn't have to do much to trick them, because she really was an idiot.

[Lovecat]

BTW ari333, the milkshake sounded familiar to me too...I believe it was the ex-pat from Connecticut (with a brother who was also shady, or also died or something) living in Tokyo??  His wife gave him a milkshake with sleeping pills, I think.

Hong Kong.  That was the Robert Kissel case.  His wife Nancy drugged him, then beat him to death with a statue or something, rolled him up in a rug, and stashed him in the storage area of their high-rise apartment building.  He was...not in good shape when he was discovered :/  She's serving life in a Hong Kong prison.  And yes, Robert's brother Andrew was murdered back in Connecticut about two and a half years later.  Weird and fascinating story, and every time I hear something about a milkshake, I think of it!

[pigs-in-space]

For this one I almost wondered if the husband was being framed, because of that Walmart receipt.  That was just dumb, dumb, dumb.

 

I also couldn't believe the husband left his kids' toys and family photos at the apartment when he moved.  At least the apartment manager had the decency to reach out to Venus's parents.

[jenkait]

Lovecat (excellent name, BTW) milkshakes make me a little leery too, now.  I must've seen more than one case...  I believe in the above case she put Ambien in the milkshake.  Good luck with that...for a certain % of the population (myself included), that stuff tastes like bitter metal.  I guess not to him.  Milkshakes and green gatorade, both of those have been done and seem suspcious.  Try something new, people!

[jenkait]

I would love for the occasional show where the husband is a long-time suspect and it turns out to be a random person instead.

 

I remember a case where that happened.  It was a 48 Hours "Live To Tell" episode.  This random trucker had a video called "Hunting Humans" and was going off the Interstate and killing people.  The terrifying thing was that they had the father in custody, arrested and in jail awaiting trial, when they found this out (another nearby case or something).  Absolutely horrible that they had the man in jail for this...what was their evidence?

[applecrisp]

Hi! Jenkait  When was this aired?

[jenkait]

Oh hey applecrisp...  I would say it aired a few years ago, but I've seen it on repeat.  It was a very good episode.  Try this link:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quqL47RwENs

 

ETA: Eeek, hope I can post that here...?  I meant only to post the link, the whole video came up!!  Anyway, look for "Live To Tell: "Hunting Humans".

Edited June 21, 2015 by jenkait

[Ohmo]

Thursday 6/18  Leslie Neumeyer

 

I think he did it.  A prominent ob-gyn who was well-known in society?  I can buy him snapping and letting his ego get the better of him.

 

The vertigo would be plausible until you get to the part that her skull was bashed in.  I don't think a fall would do that, even a fall on marble.

 

I also wonder if Bob had sent the last text message to Leslie's friend.  He had contacted the guy before.

 

And once again, we have children defending one parent accused of murdering the other.

[CMH1981]

I watched this one and I totally buy that the husband did this.  I think he had some rage issues and he saw the text from the friend and he snapped.  Do spouses not set up locks on their phones?  I know most phones require it now, but do most spouses share the code or fingerprint scan on their phone? 

 

Was the friend she was planning to meet up w/ in NYC gay?  As a gay man myself he struck me as that way so I don't know why she didn't just let the husband know he was gay, if he was.  That would have eased his paranoia somewhat.  I just don't know how that guy/friend functioned for awhile without seeking therapy.  He had to think that he contributed to her death inadvertently from the text based on the husbands past snooping.  It is possible that the husband just snapped on his own, but I don't know.  I would think he would have to get some therapy to get past that, but that's just me.

 

Does that mean the M.E. in that town would have had past cases looked at where he hastily made a decision without ruling everything out?

 

I felt bad for the kids in that family, especially for the daughter that day b/c you know she is living in denial over what he did and how she might have helped conceal that day by moving the body then lying about it.

[editorgrrl]

Leslie Neulander's friend, Nevin Robi, has nothing to feel guilty about. He said Leslie told him she was leaving her husband Robert because she'd had enough of his cheating. At trial, the defense claimed the Neulanders had a happy marriage, and that Dr. Neulander never suspected his wife of infidelity. Robi wasn't called to testify.

 

I usually feel sorry for the children who refuse to believe their father killed their mother, but Jenna Neulander should've been charged with perjury.

 

The correct title is "Shalimar" (one L). Andrea Canning was the reporter.

When beautiful, beloved Leslie Neulander dies suddenly after what appears to be an accidental fall in the shower, two friends join forces to seek justice on her behalf. It would take more than two years for the truth to come out—with one friend believing Leslie guided their investigation from the grave.

 

That "beyond the grave" stuff was stupid.

 

Edited to add: Dr. Neulander was scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday, June 25. It's been postponed, and a hearing set for July 8 to decide if he should get a new trial because of jury bias:

A juror has been accused by an alternate juror of getting prejudicial text messages about the case during trial, and discussing the case outside the jury room.

Edited June 25, 2015 by editorgrrl

[CMH1981]

 

That "beyond the grave" stuff was stupid.

 

It might have been ridiculous, but it was what ultimately led to the doctor being prosecuted in a way.  It seemed everyone in the town thought the death was suspicious but nobody was talking.

 

 

At trial, the defense claimed the Neulanders had a happy marriage, and that Dr. Neulander never suspected his wife of infidelity. Robi wasn't called to testify.

 

Why wouldn't the defense not want to claim the Neulander's had a happy marriage?  If they were the one's to bring up the strained marriage, due to infidelities, and her texting Robi, it would really make him look guilty.  The doctor finds out his wife is planning to leave him after his infidelities and he kills her.  

 

Were any friends called to testify at the trial?  I also really wouldn't call Robi a close friend, they met and texted mostly, maybe met here or there, but it wasn't like he was part of the community or anything, he was more like her texting confidant.  

 

I do think the doctor saw the texts and he snapped based off that and the strained marriage due to his infidelities and her starting the process of leaving him.  

[editorgrrl]

Why wouldn't the defense not want to claim the Neulanders had a happy marriage? If they were the one's to bring up the strained marriage, due to infidelities, and her texting Robi, it would really make him look guilty. The doctor finds out his wife is planning to leave him after his infidelities and he kills her.

I do think the doctor saw the texts and he snapped based off that and the strained marriage due to his infidelities and her starting the process of leaving him.

I think Dr. Neulander would've killed Leslie with or without those texts. His practice had tanked after Blue Cross dropped him for fraudulent billing, Leslie told Robi her husband was increasingly angry & erratic, he was a serial philanderer, she was leaving him… For all we know, Robert knew Robi is gay.

And I think the "behind the grave" stuff was done for dramatic effect. (It's better than Dateline's tendency to slut shame, but still.) Leslie's death was reinvestigated because the DA got an anonymous letter. When the ME said, "Yes, she's telling me what happened," I thought she was talking about the forensics—not Leslie's disembodied spirit. YMMV.

Neither Davi nor the friend who went to the psychic (Teri Barr) testified at the trial because they have nothing to do with the case—they just make for good TV.

[Ohmo]

Aired Friday 6/26

 

I thought Eric's siblings were adorable.  His brother was clearly trying to watch out for him, and the way his sisters talked about Eric's wedding "with the bride who hadn't been chosen yet" was endearing.  I loved how Josh kind of went along with that.

 

I have a sibling who is like Eric in that she's significantly younger than the rest of us.  We kind of behave like Eric's siblings did.  We remember well when my sister came home from the hospital when she was born.  When Eric's sister's talked about his wedding, I doubt that they would have been that pushy (or maybe they really would have, who knows), but the way that all three siblings talked about Eric seemed to come from such a place of love.  There's something different about the "baby" of the family when the baby's a lot younger than you---even if the baby is a successful car dealer who apparently liked to play the field.  I understand his siblings' desire to protect him, and I feel badly for them and Eric.  He was a ladies man who apparently liked fast cars and women, but I do buy that he also loved his family.

 

This really is a cautionary tale about living life in the fast lane.  You can choose it, but if you do, you had better have your radar up.  Your margin for error is much less.

 

I wondered about Eric's parents.  The detective referred to Eric's father, but there was no mention of his parents after that.  I wonder if they are deceased or simply just wished for their children to deal with Dateline.

 

Scary to think that Katrina worked for NIH.

 

I thought Josh had a terrific rapport with the siblings, particularly the sisters.

Edited June 28, 2015 by Ohmo

[zxy556575]

The sisters really did make me like their brother, which isn't always the case.

 

Maybe not so much here, but we've soon so many examples of cases, especially cold, that were only solved because a family member(s) would not give up. I suspect I'd be more aligned with the "it won't bring them back" people Josh alluded to who don't hound the police or attend the trial.

[editorgrrl]

Eric Somuah of Silver Springs, MD, was 34.

When a successful luxury car dealer is murdered in his sleep, detectives soon focus in on one of the victim's lovers. But with little hard evidence to go on, the investigation stalls—until a year later, when one lucky clue breaks the case wide open.

Hurray for whoever found the murder weapon on I-495—and turned it in.

http://youtu.be/BbDVMgkszkw

[jenkait]

Like you Ohmo, I really liked the sisters and could understand them.  I have a sister close to my age and a brother eight years younger.  I could really relate to the way they were talking about their brother.  Josh did have a nice rapport with them, too.

 

 

Eric did lead life in the fast lane, but he was single so he could do what he liked.  I would think a young, unattached guy could date multiple women, it might cause some drama but getting killed is rather unexpected!  The pot is really nothing to me, he didn't seem to be into any shady deals with the cars or anything...I don't know.  He still didn't seem to be a likely murder victim to me.

I am shocked that Katrina dropped the gun on the D.C. beltway...couldn't she had least have thrown it into the Potomac or something?!  And did she really do it?  It would appear obviously so, but what was her motive?  They never got into that, just..found the gun, she was convicted, the end!  I would've like to know more, but if she's saying not guilty and was convicted, I suppose there wasn't much more to tell.

 

Kudos to that cop Reuben, he really seemed invested in finding the killer for the family.

[editorgrrl]

And did she really do it? It would appear obviously so, but what was her motive? They never got into that, just found the gun, she was convicted, the end!

The show said Katrina Ben shot Eric Somuah when she found out he was seeing other women. To Eric, she was nothing more than a "Monday night girl" (aka the kind you don't take home to mother).

Katrina lied about owning a gun, she lied about the drug dealer… Authorities knew she was guilty; the gun was the proof they'd been waiting for. Without it, there was reasonable doubt.