Brown County Prosecutor Ted Adams, Deputy Prosecutor James T. Roberts and public defender Dorie Maryan made their final arguments this morning in the trial of Daniel Messel for the murder of Hannah Wilson. Here are some of the points they made:
Dep. Prosecutor: Motive "not an element of this case. … It’s a senseless crime, but it’s still a crime and it’s still murder."
— BC Democrat (@bcdemocrat) August 10, 2016
Dep prosecutor to jury: "Defense will invite you to delve into the bottomless sea of the unknown." Says evidence against Messel overwhelming
— BC Democrat (@bcdemocrat) August 10, 2016
Dep. prosecutor: Messel would have had time to dispose of weapon. Absence of a weapon speaks more loudly to his guilt than presence of one.
— BC Democrat (@bcdemocrat) August 10, 2016
Dep Prosecutor Roberts: “The torch is now passed to you. Ladies and gentleman of the jury, find Daniel Messel guilty.” Defense speaking now.
— BC Democrat (@bcdemocrat) August 10, 2016
Defense to Messel jury: Reasonable doubt may arrive from lack of evidence. It's not enough for state to show defendant is probably guilty.
— BC Democrat (@bcdemocrat) August 10, 2016
Defense to jury: Does pic of client's hands, taken w/in 14 hours of finding Hannah Wilson, look like injuries from hands fighting for life?
— BC Democrat (@bcdemocrat) August 10, 2016
Defense: Messel's shoe had Wilson's DNA, but blood was not confirmed to be on it. "How did this shoe not end up looking like this grass?"
— BC Democrat (@bcdemocrat) August 10, 2016
Messel defense: “The reason his clothes don’t look like his car, look like the grass, is because they are not the clothes of a killer.”
— BC Democrat (@bcdemocrat) August 10, 2016
Defense: Wilson's supposed time of death makes timeline not work out. Says Messel couldn't have been seen minutes later on highway video.
— BC Democrat (@bcdemocrat) August 10, 2016
Defense: Wilson’s DNA is not in front seat. None of Messel’s DNA outside car or at Plum Creek where body found. Yet DNA transfers easily?
— BC Democrat (@bcdemocrat) August 10, 2016
Defense: Wilson left home without phone, purse. Why would she feel comfortable leaving them? Was it because she was with someone she knew?
— BC Democrat (@bcdemocrat) August 10, 2016
Pros. Adams: A red herring is a distraction from the issue at hand. You just heard 48 minutes of red herrings. Directs jury to two anchors.
— BC Democrat (@bcdemocrat) August 10, 2016
Prosecutor Adams: Blood and hair pulled out by the root. This man killed Hannah Wilson and the anchors prove it. Points fingers at Messel.
— BC Democrat (@bcdemocrat) August 10, 2016
Adams: “There are things we are never going to know what happened," why Hannah got into vehicle, how or when. "That is not reasonable doubt”
— BC Democrat (@bcdemocrat) August 10, 2016
Prosecutor Adams: “That poor girl struggled for her life. Thank God that phone fell out.” It was traced to Messel, murder defendant.
— BC Democrat (@bcdemocrat) August 10, 2016
Prosecutor Adams: “This is all we have of Hannah Wilson: A DNA swab, because that man killed her," points to Messel. Jury has the case now.
— BC Democrat (@bcdemocrat) August 10, 2016