American Sniper murder trial - Jay Novacek present

[NorthwestDallas40]

On CNN right now. Verdict set to be announced. Apparently Jay Novacek became good friends with Chris Kyle's widow and is present in the courtroom. Thought that was cool of him, so thought I'd share...

 

[Dave_in-NC]

It is cool. Thanks. Great Movie by the way.

 

[BoysFan4ever]

I don't see how the verdict could be anything but guilty.

 

[Longboysfan]

Can we just roll out the chair right there and not waste $ storing this junk.

 

[BoysFan4ever]

I didn't realize he shot the other guy in the back.

So cowardly.

 

[DFWJC]

I don't see how the verdict could be anything but guilty.

I think the only question is if it's guilty by insanity or not. The guilty part is a given.

 

[BoysFan4ever]

I think the only question is if it's guilty by insanity or not. The guilty part is a given.

He was found guilty & sentenced to life in prison with no parole.

The jury didn't buy the insanity plea.

 

[BoysFan4ever]

That guy has changed so much. When he committed the murders he was scrawny skinny. Looked like a drug addict.

The pic I saw from the trial he was chunky. I didn't even recognize him.

 

[bark]

He was found guilty & sentenced to life in prison with no parole.

The jury didn't buy the insanity plea.

Why was the death penalty not on the table. I swear sometimes I don't understand our legal system

 

[BigStar]

Why was the death penalty not on the table. I swear sometimes I don't understand our legal system

I think PTSD or schizophrenia type of disorder that was underlying (something is off def.) prevented them from going in that direction (not practically bc they could have still sentenced him to death). I read where the defendant started the shooting because he thought one of the guys was plotting merely bc he wasn't shooting at a shooting range (Why take a knowingly disturbed man to a shooting range? Very poor judgement on the victims part unfortunately). He then went on to shoot them both due to this paranoid fantasy (what other motive is here).

This just wasn't a coherent crime that justified Murder 1, he obv didn't plan it beforehand. Murder 2 or manslaughter should have been the charge looking at the evidence and the actions before and after the act (he drove to his sisters house who called the police as he waited in his car to later go on a brief police chase. Just no logic to his actions). The guy is dangerous and should be locked up for life, but I think the mental illness in question made it hard to go in that direction. He may have been disturbed before enlisting.

 

[BigStar]

He was found guilty & sentenced to life in prison with no parole.

The jury didn't buy the insanity plea.

The insanity plea would still leave him locked up for life. He would never be let out, he would be held in a mental institution for the criminally insane/psyche ward of gen prison. He wouldn't be subjected to gangs/violence, but he would likely be a veggie for the rest of his years. (lawyers pushing that angle usually just want to plant seeds of doubt for juries in securing the highest charge; leading to guilt by a lesser offense).

 

[BoysFan4ever]

I think PTSD or schizophrenia type of disorder that was underlying (something is off def.) prevented them from going in that direction (not practically bc they could have still sentenced him to death). I read where the defendant started the shooting because he thought one of the guys was plotting merely bc he wasn't shooting at a shooting range (Why take a knowingly disturbed man to a shooting range? Very poor judgement on the victims part unfortunately). He then went on to shoot them both due to this paranoid fantasy (what other motive is here).

This just wasn't a coherent crime that justified Murder 1, he obv didn't plan it beforehand. Murder 2 or manslaughter should have been the charge looking at the evidence and the actions before and after the act (he drove to his sisters house who called the police as he waited in his car). The guy is dangerous and should be locked up for life, but I think the mental illness in question made it hard to go in that direction. He may have been disturbed before enlisting.

I am not sure but he told somebody (not sure if it was the police or who) that he killed them because they were ignoring him.,

And I agree..a shooting range was a bad place to take him.

It's all terribly sad.

 

[BigStar]

I am not sure but he told somebody (not sure if it was the police or who) that he killed them because they were ignoring him.
And I agree..a shooting range was a bad place to take him.

It's all terribly sad.

Really? That is definitely a different justification. That would be a narcissist type of deal that does show he just "blew up" because of ego/insecurity, not the paranoid fetch I read. Thanks for info!

 

[BoysFan4ever]

Really? That is definitely a different justification. That would be a narcissist type of deal that does show he just "blew up" because of ego/insecurity, not the paranoid fetch I read. Thanks for info!

I saw one of the jurors on one of those gossipy shows &'she said they never bought the guy had mental issues..they just thought he was a jealous dangerous person who those two guys were trying to help & he murdered them.

So the prosecution (sp?) did a great job..

I still have a hard time believing he shot the one guy in the back. I'm not sure why that bothers me so much but that just seems so wrong & evil.

I consider anyone who serves their country a hero & I just cannot understand why he did that except it's just evil.

 

[BigStar]

I saw one of the jurors on one of those gossipy shows &'she said they never bought the guy had mental issues..they just thought he was a jealous dangerous person who those two guys were trying to help & he murdered them.

So the prosecution (sp?) did a great job..

I still have a hard time believing he shot the one guy in the back. I'm not sure why that bothers me so much but that just seems so wrong & evil.

I consider anyone who serves their country a hero & I just cannot understand why he did that except it's just evil.

I would say the "good job" depends on perspective in that lawyers are sworn to do that to protect their clients best interests, etc. If we can pick and choose how "well" to defend those in question, that opens a whole other can of worms that doesn't fit with an "equal" society. Just personally speaking, no one commits murders out of jealously without any real way of avoiding prosecution the way this guy did. He was referenced as "bat ish crazy" by Kyle himself on the way to picking him up. Tbh I think some of this was politically motivated in that it would look bad on the US to "automatically" determine the death penalty on a murder of a recent military celebrity that coincides with the film, etc. That looks barbaric and makes it hard for us to hold any moral superiority over "certain" countries.

 

[speedkilz88]

Why was the death penalty not on the table. I swear sometimes I don't understand our legal system

DA chose not to pursue the death penalty. It's been speculated by former DAs on the news that was a decision based on the guys mental problems. It would have been a bigger issue if they pursued the death penalty.

 

[speedkilz88]

I think PTSD or schizophrenia type of disorder that was underlying (something is off def.) prevented them from going in that direction (not practically bc they could have still sentenced him to death). I read where the defendant started the shooting because he thought one of the guys was plotting merely bc he wasn't shooting at a shooting range (Why take a knowingly disturbed man to a shooting range? Very poor judgement on the victims part unfortunately). He then went on to shoot them both due to this paranoid fantasy (what other motive is here).

This just wasn't a coherent crime that justified Murder 1, he obv didn't plan it beforehand. Murder 2 or manslaughter should have been the charge looking at the evidence and the actions before and after the act (he drove to his sisters house who called the police as he waited in his car to later go on a brief police chase. Just no logic to his actions). The guy is dangerous and should be locked up for life, but I think the mental illness in question made it hard to go in that direction. He may have been disturbed before enlisting.

From what I've heard he didn't have PTSD. Schizophrenia and drugs ... yes. Guy was stationed in Iraq I think but never faced combat. Unfortunately, the guys mother who asked Kyle to help him didn't inform him that his problems were schizophrenia and drug use and that he had been violent. PTSD patients are rarely violent.

Kyle reportedly did realize once he met him that he was "off" and even wanted his friend to watch his 6. Guy admitted that he wanted to kill them in the truck on the way but didn't because he was afraid of an accident that would kill him. Then looked for an opening where he could shoot both when their guns were empty. Premeditation is answered by him admitting that he did have time to think about it. Murder 1. They also only had to prove that he knew right from wrong to avoid the reason by insanity.

 

[BigStar]

From what I've heard he didn't have PTSD. Schizophrenia and drugs ... yes. Guy was stationed in Iraq I think but never faced combat. Unfortunately, the guys mother who asked Kyle to help him didn't inform him that his problems were schizophrenia and drug use and that he had been violent. PTSD patients are rarely violent.

Kyle reportedly did realize once he met him that he was "off" and even wanted his friend to watch his 6. Guy admitted that he wanted to kill them in the truck on the way but didn't because he was afraid of an accident that would kill him. Then looked for an opening where he could shoot both when their guns were empty. Premeditation is answered by him admitting that he did have time to think about it. Murder 1. They also only had to prove that he knew right from wrong to avoid the reason by insanity.

Thanks for that info SK! Most of that was just from memory and admittedly only from one source. They did mention he was into drugs and showed signs of schizophrenia but didn't mention he was plotting this thing against Kyle and the other victim in any way. Just from the outside looking in, it looked like a mentally ill person committed the crime mainly because he had no plans to try to get away with it. I see now where the PTSD claim would obviously rub vets the wrong way considering he was likely disturbed long before enlisting. Thanks again.

 

[Fletch]

Didn't Chris take multiple shots from this wacko? I wonder how it went down.

 

[BigStar]

Didn't Chris take multiple shots from this wacko? I wonder how it went down.

It was ugly...no one deserves to die that way (pigeon holed)