The test
On Feb. 13, 2013, a year-and-a-half after Lauren Astley’s murder, her ex-boyfriend Nathaniel Fujita’s test began.
«there is two people that are different» friend Genevieve Flynn said. «there is, like, the Nate which was in senior school with us, who had been, like, within my homeroom, that would joke around beside me, who was simply regarding the track group beside me. There is that Nate. Then there is, like, the Nate whom We have just really noticed in handcuffs plus in a court space.»
Expected just exactly how he seemed in court, buddy Hannah Blahut told Smith, «He mostly kept their face down. So when he looked up, he seemed not like most Nate that I would ever understood.»
Prosecutor Lisa McGovern wastes no right amount of time in spelling down why Lauren was murdered.
«This defendant is bad just as charged,» McGovern addressed the court in her own opening declaration.
«Nathaniel Fujita ended up being hurt by Lauren Astley maybe perhaps perhaps not finding its way back to him in which he killed her,» McGovern told «48 Hours»
Defense lawyer William Sullivan, inside the opening declaration, admits Nathaniel killed Lauren.
«In many murder situations, the real question is whom? Whom achieved it? That is not this full situation,» the told the court. «This case there’s— there is gonna be two concerns, why and just how. «
«so how exactly does a child . there is no actual proof of him ever laying a hand with this girl that is young . how exactly does he take action similar to this?» Sullivan remarked to Tracy Smith. «we told the jury, ‘you’re gonna notice to check out some really unsettling facts.'»
«. she passed away as a consequence of the mixture of this strangulation together with wounds that are incised . to her throat,» health Examiner Henry Nields testified.
Nields stated after Lauren had been strangled having a bungee cable, she then suffered a true quantity of shallow wounds to her throat before her neck had been cut.
«Why these trivial, superficial wounds? He did that to harm her,» McGovern told «48 Hours». «Why did he deliver the gaping, deep injury? He did that to destroy her.»
The prosecution questioned Genevieve Flynn and Lauren’s other buddies about 2011 — the month between high school graduation and Lauren’s murder june.
«we saw Lauren pick up her hands and push them down her part as if she ended up being saying, simply keep away from me personally,» Hannah testified.
Hannah Blahut testified about this graduation party where Nathaniel punched a pole keeping up the ongoing celebration tent.
«Nate got furious that Lauren was not conversing with him,» close friend Chloe Jacques told «48 Hours». «He was being aggressive because he had been really drunk.»
McGovern thinks Nathaniel’s display of rage had been a prelude that is ominous killing Lauren.
«this is certainly a domestic physical violence murder. This is perpetrated because of this relationship, that was a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship,» McGovern told «48 Hours.»
«The prosecution is painting this as a domestic violence that is escort service Grand Rapids violence-dating,» Smith noted to Sullivan. «Proper,» he responded.
However the protection disagrees.
«Nathaniel . did not stalk her. Did not drive by her household. Was not calling her. Wasn’t texting her. And none of this ended up being present,» Sullivan told Smith.
The protection wishes the jury to pay attention to Nathaniel’s behavior after graduation leading up to Lauren’s murder:
Bill Sullivan: throughout that time those three months, be reasonable to state you did not start to see the defendant after all.
R.J. Bolivar: I don’t think therefore.
«their buddies was in fact saying they did not like to go out with him any longer because he previously been acting differently,» Chloe told «48 Hours».
Bill Sullivan: he is maybe not spending time with you dudes anymore, right?
Connor Murphy: Appropriate.
Friends Connor and R.J. testify Nathaniel had dropped from their social group.
Bill Sullivan: can it be reasonable to state that folks had been commenting that Nathaniel was not around?
R.J. Bolivar: Some individuals were, yeah.
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