Holly Christine Fischer, 39, has been missing since Monday May 27th.  (UPDATE: THE BODY OF HOLLY FISCHER HAS BEEN LOCATED NEAR HER CAR, WHICH WENT OVER A CLIFF OFF OF 16 IN NC)

Courtesy Holly Fischer

She has not been seen nor heard from since leaving her parents’ home in Knoxville, TN according to a missing persons report filed by her Father Ted.

Ted Fischer described his daughter as “upset” when she left the home Memorial Day- over her pending divorce from estranged husband Ali Ozan Girit. Fischer states that he spoke to Girit and inquired as to his daughter’s whereabouts but Girit proclaimed he has not seen Holly since she left Tennessee.

Holly Fischer, a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Parsons School of Design was a regional sales manager for Discovery Communications through last year.

She has worked in the fashion and design industry for brands like Club Monaco and DKNY.

Girit, a competitive bodybuilder and training manger of LA Fitness according to his linked in profile, signed over a deed to the couples Huntersville home in January of this year. Girit is a former resident of Weehawken, NJ and worked security in New York City in 2009.

Holly Fischer left her parents’ home in Knox County on Monday May 27th and friend Liz Stafford Ajello called the Fischer’s when Holly had not arrived by Wednesday. Ms. Ajello went as far as to suggest foul play is involved in Holly’s disappearance.   Police are focusing their efforts on the area approximately 100 miles  away based on pings from Fischers phone in Ashe and Wilkes counties.

Coward said Fischer’s father told authorities his daughter was upset about her upcoming divorce.

“Her parents seem to think she might have decided to go to Ashe County, to collect herself,” said Liz Stafford, who said she has been a friend of Fischer’s for more than 20 years, dating back to their days as students at Charlotte Latin School.

Holly is believed to be driving her vehicle- a  UPDATE: DARK GRAY*  2004 Infinity FX 35 and was last seen in Newport wearing a white blouse, denim shorts and sandals. She is blonde with brown eyes, approximately 5’10” and 140 lbs.
Her license plate is registered in North Carolina DMV and is XYH6678. The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is JNRAS08W64X203396
Anyone that may have seen her or her vehicle is asked to contact  911

*There is scratches on the driver side mirror and and along the front fender.  For the auto and auto salvage/impound community the actual factory color is Beryllium 16.

Image courtesy Arias

Phoenix, AZ-  In the 4 month long trial of Jodi Ann Arias for the murder of her brief boyfriend Travis Victor Alexander, the jury deliberating since last Friday has arrived at a verdict in her case.   Arias was found guilty of the pre-meditated murder of  Travis Alexander on June 4th, 2008.

Cleveland, OH Missing since 2003 ns 2004 respectively - Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus were found alive this afternoon.   A suspect who has not been identified is said to be interviewing with police.

This is a breaking news story, please check back for updates

…” Something happens to ordinary citizens when they get into the jury box.  All of them become defenders of the Constitution. Every single time.  Very difficult…”

-Roy Hazelwood, Former FBI Behavior Analysis Unit Section Chief R current co-founder The Academy Group.

Hanged v Hung 

The death by hanging option is not a consideration in the event that the Jury in the Jodi Arias trial finds her guilty of murder in the first degree, or felony murder.   The jury cannot “hang” Jodi Arias.

However, they can hang themselves.  I am not referring to what they must have felt like to sit through four months of testimony in the heinous butchering trial in the murder of Travis Alexander.  No doubt 18 days on the stand – the poster child of the girl your mom told you about that guys will f*ck but not marry, Arias’s own words and convenient selective “fugue” state should be considered cruel and unusual for regular folk doing their civic duty.

I could not end my pre-verdict coverage without an editorial that lapses into first and third person.

Hung can be a good word.  Some examples:

1. Relating to a portion of male anatomy for those not buying of the indifference to size
2. He hung my new Mom’s Day necklace around my neck and it is super-sparkly.
3. I hung my child’s first abstract-impressionist masterpiece on the wall in my office.
4. We hung the ribbons for first place on the mantle.
5. When the jurors in the Aries trial could not reach a unanimous decision on the first degree premeditated-murder and felony charges Judge Sherry Stephens announced the jury had hung and declared a mistrial.

Consider the alternatives before hurling the maters my way, if you will.

The fact that the judge ordered a manslaughter or “heat of passion” instruction at the last minute should be telling that there is great concern that the state has not offered the slam dunk serve-up for these triers of fact.

The trial started with the State disputing its own theory of the sequence of events between the Medical Examiner and the lead detective.  It is followed by evidence that disputes the contention the victim was immediately incapacitated by having him standing over the sink after injury.   Waa?

Hell, let’s just say it. There are 2 separate and distinct areas of a clear and unambiguous attack closely resembling a slaughter house with a substantial absence of blood in others.

Not to mention a picture of a severely wounded but not yet with a fatal neck slit injury of Travis one minute and two seconds later.

One minute and two seconds.   Two hundred pound prime-fitness Travis and 115 lb. Jodi in a battle for life and limb and the State says she stabs him FATALLY first in the chest.    Again, this contradicts the ME testimony.   Travis Alexander was shot first, period.  Whether or not that will make a difference to this jury I have no idea.

Considering this fatal wound was to his chest and NONE of the wounds to his back were even life threatening and clearly inflicted upon an individual who was not in motion- this makes zero sense.  The whole macabre mess goes down in one minute and two seconds if the pictures are to be believed.

One minute and two seconds.

Whether someone believes Arias is guilty or not, as the state presented their alleged version of events, it is unlikely that all jurors are going to be able to conclude that the timestamps on the pictures and the state’s versions of events can both be true.

As an example- to my knowledge, socks do not leave what is called a footwear impression.  There is clearly a “footwear impression on the bathroom floor in blood.  There was a pair of Travis’s gray socks in the washer.  They are the same color as the ones seen what appears to be over a shoe in one of the pictures in evidence.   Doesn’t that mean she was there long enough to do 2 loads of wash?  Possibly.

There are more unexplained incongruences in the State’s case than there are journal entries of this defendant.   It gives me great pause.  Juan Martinez’s closing argument stated theory that is medically unsupported in this case and overall.  Pause layering.

In a murder case with more forensic evidence than any one of the eight seasons of Criminal Minds has featured in a one hour episode, it is unsettling to see how much of it presumably not tested nor introduced as evidence was.

I have never seen juror questions in a capital case following re-direct before but I paid very close attention.  There were many prospective deliberating jurors asking what I would consider questions indicative of folks with forensic knowledge.

… “How Do I love thee, let me count the lies…”  Juan Martinez

Juan Martinez alleged that Arias deleted only pictures that implicated her, however, Michael Melendez testified there were roughly 90 pictures remaining on the camera that WERE NEVER introduced into evidence.   It was a juror who asked that question among others regarding the highly prejudicial and for my taste, unverified camera card evidence.   This jury is paying attention to the details.

Which means they are paying attention to the painfully few details offered as well.

Add in the very embarrassing and contradictory testimony of Dr. Horn who while he “sees dead people” apparently is not so big on the reporting of same.   We now we have a prosecution relying almost entirely on the testimony of the medical examiner to support its theory and he shows up in rebuttal with a 3^rd version of errors he calls a typo.   Not helpful when the “immediately incapacitated “and non-ambulatory terms were used to discount a struggle between Travis and Jodi.

Dr. Horn may not know it yet but his testimony was downloaded to viral status by every reputable law school or criminal justice professor following the trial.   Not in a good way when the syllabus header is “What Your Witness Can Never do.” (more…)