Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Robbins Nye County Murder Trial Update

From the Pahrump Valley Times: Since last week, jurors heard from a number of prosecution witnesses, including deputies, detectives, the county’s contract medical examiner, who examined Mundy’s body, a 911 dispatcher and a ballistics expert about facts of the case in addition to two of Robbins’ family members, Kathie Robbins, the defendant’s wife, and Jennifer, his daughter.
On Friday, Nye County Sheriff’s Det. Eric Murphy, the lead investigator in the case, took the stand to testify about what he witnessed and discovered in the process of investigating the shooting.
“He appeared to be calm and just standing there,” Murphy said about Daniel Robbins when he first arrived on scene at the 940 Benson Circle home where the incident occurred.
“He told me that the he and the deceased had some conversation on Facebook and then approximately 15 minutes later after that conversation, a vehicle pulled up in his front yard and he could hear his wife outside yelling, so he proceeded to get out of bed and go around the side of the bed, open up a dresser drawer, pull a firearm out of the dresser, load the firearm and the chamber with one round. He then proceeded outside to the front yard and as he cleared the gate area of the residence, he informed me he fired a warning shot, and then proceeded past his wife to the vehicle and put the gun next to victim’s head. … He then stated to me he had the gun against victim’s head and it just went off.”
Two bullet casings were reportedly found in the approximate areas Daniel Robbins had indicated to police the gun had gone off. One was found underneath a bush up by the house, the other in the back seat of the borrowed car Mundy had been driving.  http://pvtimes.com/news/state-rests-in-robbins-murder-trial/
I found this interesting: A last-minute defense motion in the trial asked the judge to order the jury to acquit Robbins of several charges, arguing that prosecutors had failed to prove all of their case....(Judge) Lane told the parties he would take it into consideration, but did not issue a ruling.
Defense attorneys always ask for a directed acquittal after the prosecutors end their case and almost always, the judge immediately shoots down the request.  To have the judge take into consideration and not issue a ruling does not bode will for the prosecutors, even if they win the motion.  this tells me that the judge has doubts about the case and if the judge has doubts, I am sure the jury does also.
Another interesting part of the trial is that Mundy had to borrow a car to drive to Robbins house.  That makes me think this was not a spur of the moment decision by Mundy to go to the house, but a determined effort to go to the house and to make some kind of statement.
While it is a shame Mundy died, he put forth every effort he could to have a confrontation with Robbins and he was given every opportunity to avoid the confrontation and he refused to back down.  Mundy is about 85% responsible for his death, his girlfriend/Robbins daughter about 10% and Robbins 5%.  Yet Robbins is being charged in the killing.
My guess is that the jury will find him not guilty of murder and maybe guilty on a lesser charge related to the young kid. 

2 comments:

  1. Did u happen to notice they put the picture of the jurors in the paper? Illegal and poor journalism.

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  2. He wasn't a kid he was an adult who made a foolish decision which put several families in turmoil. its unfortunate but he made the choice to come over at 130 in the morning. Robbins should be acquitted

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