Most Eye-Opening Verdict: Man Acquitted in Killing as Expert Testifies He Was Sleepwalking
Joseph Anthony Mitchell of North Carolina was acquitted of murder charges as his lawyers argued he was unaware that he had strangled his son to death because he was sleepwalking. So reports WRAL.com.
He was also found not guilty on charges of attempted first degree murder, as he allegedly attempted to kill his two other children that same night. Mitchell’s ex-wife Christine Perolini, the child’s mother, was sobbing and hyperventilating after the verdict was delivered and had to be taken for medical care.
Witnesses indicated Mitchell was a good dad but had come into financial trouble shortly before the incident. Dr. George Corvin, a forensic psychiatrist who testified for the defense, said stress and a lack of sleep may have resulted in "non-REM parasomnia,” leading him to unconsciously attack his family.
Read the full article from WRAL.com.
Most Plastic Verdict: Guilty Verdict in Philly Silicon Butt Implant Case
A transgender woman was found guilty on four counts, including third degree murder, for performing buttock enhancements without proper medical training, according to CBS Philadelphia.
One woman died and another was hospitalized at the hands of Padge Victoria Windslowe, who was said to have been injecting industrial-grade silicon into women during hotel room ad-hoc procedures. Windslowe testified that she thought the procedures were safe and had performed them on herself. Weather, inappropriate clothing and chest pains all contributed to a few hiccups during the trial. She faces up to 70 years in prison.
Read the full article from CBS Philadelphia.
Most Terrifying Verdict: Train Terror Plot Leads to Convictions
After 10 days of deliberations, Raed Jaser, a Canadian resident of Palestinian descent, and Chiheb Esseghaier of Tunisia, were found guilty of eight counts related to a railway terror plot. So reports the BBC News.
The plot involved a plan to use a train traveling from New York to Toronto as an instrument of terror. Esseghaier served as his own defense and claimed he wanted to be judged by the Koran. Jaser’s lawyers argued he was not religiously motivated, but was looking to extract money from an undercover FBI agent and Esseghaier.
The undercover agent posed as an Egyptian-American real estate developer and had recorded 25 hours of conversations with the two men. The investigation began after an imam in the Toronto Muslim community had grown suspicious.
Read the full article from BBC News.
Most Complex Verdict: Nordstrom Rack Hostage Takers Found Guilty
Three men who held up a Nordstrom Rack in southern California and took 14 hostages were found guilty of second degree robbery with a handgun while two of the men were found guilty of additional sexual assault charges, among others, according to NBC Los Angeles.
The January 2013 incident included one woman stabbed in the neck after hiding in a closet and calling for help and allegations one of the employees held up in the store had planned to sue Nordstrom for being sexually assaulted and split the winnings with the men as part of the impetus for the scheme. Video footage of the incident was unpleasant and the three men threatened the hostages and made them strip down to undergarments. At least one appeal is planned.
Read the full article from NBC Los Angeles.
Most Off-The-Mark Verdict: Man Empties Revolver at Cops, Faces Life in Jail
A California man faces life in prison after he fired his gun at police officers during a search of his apartment. According to a Daily Republic article, Jordan C. Hughes was smoking pot on June 26, 2011 and was locked in his bathroom while police were in his apartment.
The story states police announced their presence and came across the locked bathroom door after “hearing concerns from Hughes’ ex-girlfriend that he might be lying in wait in the apartment.” After identifying themselves and waiting several minutes, they busted through the door. Hughes then fired five shots from his revolver, but did not hit any of the officers. His counsel claimed he was trying to scare away robbers by firing his weapon. He faces 56 years-to-life in prison and will be sentenced April 17.