After four weeks and 22 witnesses, the prosecution in the quadruple murder trial of Leslie Pipersburgh and Patrick Robateau rested its case yesterday.
It's the most sensational murder trial in recent memory and for that reason its been an educating and entertaining four weeks as we watched the events unfold in courtroom number 2. No one has watched the events more closely than our Keith Swift and today he recapped the crown's case against Robateau and Pipersburgh as presented to the jury by prosecutor Majorie Moyston.
Keith Swift Reporting,
Her case started where it all began - here at Bowen and Bowen Limited's Slaughterhouse Road compound where two of the alleged murders occurred on June 18th of 2002. First on the stand was KBH security guard Carl Ventura who was both a witness and an alleged victim. Former prosecutor Michael Peyrefitte says the 12 eyewitnesses called to the stand were key.
Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney at Law
"The prosecution has a very tall order. They have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that these men are guilty and they don['t get many chances to prove that. They only get once chance to prove that. They have got to do whatever they think is necessary to prove that.
Keith Swift,
"And then there is of course the hard part as Moyston called 8 expert witnesses as she attempted to build the technical part of her case. The jury heard testimony from gun experts, police investigators, and forensic analysts. But no fingerprint evidence was introduced. Peyrefitte opines."
Michael Peyrefitte,
"Fingerprint evidence at the crime scene can determine who was physically there at the scene of the crime."
And Moyston's case ended of course with witness #22 Ambassador Salvador Figueroa who dropped that bombshell yesterday. Former prosecutor Mike Peyrefitte says that it was an intentional dramatic end to the prosecution's case.
Michael Peyrefitte,
"In terms of strategy, I would want the last person to cement what I have been saying all along and tie up and summarize what I have been saying all along. Because after the technical aspect of it is refreshing to have a person in the witness box saying, "Yes I heard him say this' that's very entertaining and it keeps the jury alive and awake so it was an excellent strategy on the part of the prosecution."
The trial is currently tied up in submissions by the defense and the jury should be back by tomorrow. Our gavel-to-gavel coverage with the defense side of the case continues tomorrow.