murder trial

A Gilbert woman faces charges of first-degree murder and possibility of the death penalty for the death of her husband in 2009. The trial has taken many turns amid conflicting statements from the defendant and witnesses.

On January 14, 2009, Marissa DeVault’s husband, Dale Harrell, was found in the master bedroom of their home, his face and head severely beaten with a claw hammer. DeVault did not deny bludgeoning her husband’s skull, but claimed she acted in self defense.

Marissa DeVault, 36, of Gilbert claimed that she “snapped,” according to AZ Central.

Harrell died three weeks after the beating, and DeVault now stands trial for first-degree murder, with allegations of a decade of physical abuse and rape by her husband as her explanation.

DeVault was indicted on March 4, 2009, according to Maricopa County Court records. It was determined she was mentally competent to stand trial on Sept. 14, 2010.

Prosecutors later claimed in court that DeVault killed Harrell in an attempt to collect from his insurance.

The course of the trial has been turbulent since the beginning, with a false confession from roommate, Stanley Cook, who suffers from brain damage-induced memory loss, to an ex-boyfriend who claims DeVault told him to “take care” of the abusive husband who she initially told him had died of stomach cancer.

A string of ex-lovers have made statements to police, one of whom said he gave DeVault $360,000 over the course of two years. The lover, Allen Flores, stated the two met on a website designed to connect endowed men, or “sugar daddies,” to “women in financial need,” according to azcentral.com.

The conflicting statements by all parties have complicated DeVault’s accusations of abuse of her and her daughters.

On March 5, 2014, a controversy arose regarding the court usage of the interview of one of DeVault’s daughters, who recently turned 18. Judge Roland Steinle has barred the use of the interview in the trial unless the daughter testifies.

The court must determine whether the allegations of abuse are credible. According to court records, DeVault will appear in court for her 19th day of trial on March 10.

The December 2013 trial for the death of a homeless man badly beaten by California police officers in 2011 is making history for being the first murder trial ever to involve a uniformed officer in Orange County.

However, two officers involved in the case were found not guilty and freed from their charges by a jury on Jan. 13.

Former Orange County officers Manuel Ramos and Jay Cicinelli were accused of beating 37-year-old Kelly Thomas unconscious on the night of July 5, which led to his death five days later.

Ramos was initially tried for second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter and Cicinelli for involuntary manslaughter and use of excessive force.

Both officers have pleaded not guilty.

Ramos and Cicinelli were only two of six officers involved in the beating. Another officer awaits trial, while the remaining three were not charged by prosecutors.

Thomas was familiar to Orange County police. In the past, Ramos had been called to check on several vandalism and trespassing situations involving Thomas. On July 5, 2011, Ramos found Thomas after he responded to a report of a man attempting to open car doors at a California transit center.

Surveillance tapes and audio recordings from the officers’ body microphones that night were used in the case as the prosecution’s main evidence. The recordings detail the conversation and events of the altercation between Thomas, Ramos and the other officers who later arrived on the scene.

Thomas was unarmed and fell unconscious after the beating when his heart stopped and he was revived by an EMT, according to a paramedic’s testimony. Thomas did not regain consciousness and died five days later.

According to the officers’ statements, Thomas, who suffered from schizophrenia, refused to cooperate and backup was called. A video of the event depicts Thomas screaming in pain for help as the officers punched, kicked, kneed, and even tazed Thomas.

Many people were shocked by the jury’s speedy decision and are upset by the officers’ acquittal. A makeshift memorial site has been put together at the transit center in honor of Thomas.

We rely on the police to protect us and make the tough decision of deciding when it’s necessary to use force in a situation, but when does protection cross the line and become brutality? Officers tend to get the benefit of the doubt in cases such as this one and their charges are often dropped.