Post by sdc on May 2, 2017 15:20:16 GMT -5
Dear Everyone,
After the Investigation Discovery Channel airs its episode focusing on Erick's case tomorrow night, I fully expect an influx of questions and opinions. No doubt, some of them will turn up right here on this very board. To that end, I wanted to take a moment to address some of the common questions asked with regard to the case. Before I do, I want to make it clear that I am neither an attorney nor an investigator. I am a nurse by training, with several decades of investigating questionable convictions as a "hobby." I put the word in quotations because the word doesn't do justice to my efforts. This is far more significant than other hobbies and I take it very seriously. Rarely do I see a case so questionable that it captivates me and fills me with rage and the desire to act. I can think only of two other cases that I have felt as strongly about as Erick Westervelt's. The fact that this young man was convicted despite no physical evidence placing him at the scene is abominable. The investigators, the prosecutors, and Erick's defense team were incompetent at best and conspirators at worst.
What I would like to do is open the floor to your questions and concerns, which I will address as I am able. I have researched the case to exhaustion, I have been in touch with Erick's mother, and I have extensive notes that I can refer to if I need to. I caution you all to take great care in the resources you choose to utilize when you research the case. Currently, I don't believe there are any trial transcripts or other official documents available, but there is a huge amount of media contribution. Please keep in mind that while most journalists value their accuracy and integrity, this is not always the case. I suggest that you keep your research to reputable sources, but at the same time I caution you that there is very little "official" information available online. Whether or not the state of NY intentionally kept the trial transcript, interview transcripts, and video/audio recordings from the general public is something you would have to ask the state. I would ask that you research the case with an open mind and not with preconceived notions of the media.
One question that continues to be asked regularly is in regards to the computer searches that the state claims were conducted by Erick Westervelt for "murder with note left behind" and "how to sharpen a knife." These were used against Erick at his trial, however, Wendy Westervelt,Erick's mother, has shared with me that she conducted a search for "murder with note left behind" with regard to the DC Sniper Shootings committed by John Allen Mohammed and Lee Boyd Malvo in 2002. If you recall (and if you don't, please feel free to verify on your own), Mohammed and Malvo went on a spree that left ten people dead and three others injured in October of 2002 throughout Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC. Mohammed and Malvo did leave a note at one of the murder scenes. Wendy Westervelt had visited the area of one of the Maryland scenes when she took her younger son, Jason, to a baseball tournament in 2003 and out of pure curiosity, she ran a search regarding the Sniper Murders she had heard so much about. God help us if our children end up legally responsible for their parents' internet searches. Wendy was never given the opportunity to state that she was the one who ran the searches. Contrary to popular belief, a witness is only allowed to answer the questions asked by an attorne when they testify. They are not permitted to explain or elaborate. It would have been the responsibility of Erick's attorney's to ask the right questions and unfortunately, they did not.
The other question I'm finding popular is similar. A search was done on the family's shared home computer for "how to sharpen knives." Please keep in mind that the victim, Timothy Gray, died from BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA. He did not die as a result of stab wounds and therefore, it makes no sense that Erick Westervelt would have run those searches with the intention of plotting Mr. Gray's attack. The explanation is actually much simpler. Wendy Westervelt ran those searches because she had kitchen knives that were dull and she wanted to sharpen them. It actually is that innocent, despite the prosecution's sinister implications. Again, God help us if our children are held responsible for our search engine criteria.
With those two questions answered, I'll be happy to answer any others that may arise now, or that may arise after the airing of tomorrow night's episode of "Reasonable Doubt" on the Investigation Discovery Channel. If you would rather email me directly, you may do so at lawjunkie426@gmail.com and I'll answer as soon as possible.
After the Investigation Discovery Channel airs its episode focusing on Erick's case tomorrow night, I fully expect an influx of questions and opinions. No doubt, some of them will turn up right here on this very board. To that end, I wanted to take a moment to address some of the common questions asked with regard to the case. Before I do, I want to make it clear that I am neither an attorney nor an investigator. I am a nurse by training, with several decades of investigating questionable convictions as a "hobby." I put the word in quotations because the word doesn't do justice to my efforts. This is far more significant than other hobbies and I take it very seriously. Rarely do I see a case so questionable that it captivates me and fills me with rage and the desire to act. I can think only of two other cases that I have felt as strongly about as Erick Westervelt's. The fact that this young man was convicted despite no physical evidence placing him at the scene is abominable. The investigators, the prosecutors, and Erick's defense team were incompetent at best and conspirators at worst.
What I would like to do is open the floor to your questions and concerns, which I will address as I am able. I have researched the case to exhaustion, I have been in touch with Erick's mother, and I have extensive notes that I can refer to if I need to. I caution you all to take great care in the resources you choose to utilize when you research the case. Currently, I don't believe there are any trial transcripts or other official documents available, but there is a huge amount of media contribution. Please keep in mind that while most journalists value their accuracy and integrity, this is not always the case. I suggest that you keep your research to reputable sources, but at the same time I caution you that there is very little "official" information available online. Whether or not the state of NY intentionally kept the trial transcript, interview transcripts, and video/audio recordings from the general public is something you would have to ask the state. I would ask that you research the case with an open mind and not with preconceived notions of the media.
One question that continues to be asked regularly is in regards to the computer searches that the state claims were conducted by Erick Westervelt for "murder with note left behind" and "how to sharpen a knife." These were used against Erick at his trial, however, Wendy Westervelt,Erick's mother, has shared with me that she conducted a search for "murder with note left behind" with regard to the DC Sniper Shootings committed by John Allen Mohammed and Lee Boyd Malvo in 2002. If you recall (and if you don't, please feel free to verify on your own), Mohammed and Malvo went on a spree that left ten people dead and three others injured in October of 2002 throughout Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC. Mohammed and Malvo did leave a note at one of the murder scenes. Wendy Westervelt had visited the area of one of the Maryland scenes when she took her younger son, Jason, to a baseball tournament in 2003 and out of pure curiosity, she ran a search regarding the Sniper Murders she had heard so much about. God help us if our children end up legally responsible for their parents' internet searches. Wendy was never given the opportunity to state that she was the one who ran the searches. Contrary to popular belief, a witness is only allowed to answer the questions asked by an attorne when they testify. They are not permitted to explain or elaborate. It would have been the responsibility of Erick's attorney's to ask the right questions and unfortunately, they did not.
The other question I'm finding popular is similar. A search was done on the family's shared home computer for "how to sharpen knives." Please keep in mind that the victim, Timothy Gray, died from BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA. He did not die as a result of stab wounds and therefore, it makes no sense that Erick Westervelt would have run those searches with the intention of plotting Mr. Gray's attack. The explanation is actually much simpler. Wendy Westervelt ran those searches because she had kitchen knives that were dull and she wanted to sharpen them. It actually is that innocent, despite the prosecution's sinister implications. Again, God help us if our children are held responsible for our search engine criteria.
With those two questions answered, I'll be happy to answer any others that may arise now, or that may arise after the airing of tomorrow night's episode of "Reasonable Doubt" on the Investigation Discovery Channel. If you would rather email me directly, you may do so at lawjunkie426@gmail.com and I'll answer as soon as possible.