Photo courtesy Benjamin Brayfield/The World
One thing I have learned watching this trial the last few days is that there is a lot of theater in a courtroom. Someone scratched a message into the seat-back in front of me, “this place sucks”, and I can see where some of the witnesses these last few days would agree. Today, witness David Breakfield testified that Nick McGuffin threatened him in 2002 saying, “I strangled that bitch and I will do it again”. Believing Breakfield to be a romantic rival, the older McGuffin told him, “I have killed before and I will kill you”.
Counsel for the defense, Robert McCrea, argued strenuously not to allow the testimony of Breakfield who was 16 at the time of the alleged threats but when Judge Barron allowed it he hammered the young man during cross examination. “Why didn’t you tell the police? Why did you wait ten years? Is it true you thought Meghan would date you if the defendant was in prison”? hammered McCrea. “You hear someone confess to a murder and you do nothing? Did you even care that Leah Freeman had been murdered?
Breakman answered that he was sixteen at the time and just wanted to stay as far away from McGuffin as possible. It did not come up in the trial but many people were reluctant to report anything to Coquille PD during that time and those that did often found themselves treated as suspects and one witness was harassed by officers at his place of work after turning in a shoe he had found.
Speaking with the forensic scientist, Kathy Walker, who examined hundreds of pieces of evidence, much of it unrelated, the defense counsel painstakingly ruled out each and everyone for the jury and marked a series of charts so the jury had a graphic representation showing the client was not linked to this beer can or that dead cat.
When defense had finished with the witness, DA Paul Frasier, on redirect, asked Walker if any trace evidence or DNA from anyone was found on the clothing of Leah Freeman? “No”, she answered. “After such a long time, that is not unusual”.
Cory Courtright, Leah Freeman’s mother, did not stay in the courtroom for Walker’s testimony.
Today we heard a taped telephone conversation between Scott Hamilton and Nick McGuffin in which we learn that McGuffin uses the word “fuckin” as an expletive, an adjective, an adverb, a modifier, a noun and a verb, such that 75% of his conversation was simply “fuckin”.
The defense starts tomorrow and I must feed the kids so I will have limited time to attend but will try and run across to the courthouse from time to time and update here. Additionally, I will fill in all the gaps from the last few days as soon as possible.
Well, I am still reserving judgment at this time but I would venture to say that the prosecution case has strengthened in the past couple of days.
ORS is lengthy and most clear when it comes to deciding if Mr. McGuffin is guilty of homicide. Mr. DA has clearly demonstrated that Mr. McGuffin is an ass wipe who has not mastered the English language. He came close to demonstrating that McGuffin MAY have committed a crime. Mr. DA has failed to clearly demonstrate that Mr. McGuffin is guilty. I would welcome testimony from the two police officers who – independently – allegedly – stopped Mr. McGuffin the evening of Ms. Freeman’s disappearance. 99% of people who take another life manifest the same symptoms the first time – dialetd eyes, sweatty palms, shaking, naseua, vomiting, flushed, racing pulse, blood pressure off the scope. Ask your VA or other friends and neighbors.