An Insignificant Case

Chapter Forty-Nine

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

It had taken three days to pick a jury because of all the publicity Alexis’s case had produced. When the jury was finally impaneled, Bridget and Charlie had mixed feelings about their chances.

At seven thirty the night before Charlie was going to give the opening statement in Alexis’s case, he and Bridget left their office, convinced that there was nothing more they could do to prepare for the first day of State of Oregon v. Alexis Chandler . Neither one of them had the energy to cook, so they picked at their food at an Italian restaurant a few blocks from their condo and went home, exhausted and on edge.

When they walked into the entryway, Charlie didn’t turn on the lights. Instead, he took Bridget’s hand and led her into the living room so they could look out at Portland’s night sky.

“Are you tired?” Charlie asked.

“I’m exhausted, but I’m too wound up to sleep.”

“Do you want a glass of wine?” Charlie asked. “I’ve got a bottle of that good pinot we bought at that wine tasting last year.”

“I had too much wine at dinner,” Bridget answered as she turned to Charlie and rested her head on his shoulder. “We’re going to lose this case, aren’t we?” she asked.

“Maybe. I don’t know. Alexis is one hell of a liar, and she’s got God on her side.”

“What God?”

“Read your Old Testament—the part where it talks about an eye for an eye.”

“That might work if our jury was made up of twelve Barbarians. Unfortunately, Tom got rid of all the die-hard criminals and religious fanatics.”

“We’re doing our best, Bridget. That’s all we can do. Alexis created this situation, and she’s the only one who can talk her way out of it.”

“Too true.”

Charlie hugged Bridget. Then he kissed her. “If we got naked and fooled around, do you think you might unwind?” he asked.

Bridget laughed. “Jesus, Charlie, we have a client who might die, and all you can think about is a roll in the hay.”

Charlie grinned. “I have absolutely no interest in sex. This would strictly be for medicinal purposes.”

“Oh, well,” Bridget said. “Making love to you usually puts me to sleep, so this might work.”

“I don’t turn you on?” Charlie asked, pretending that his feelings had been hurt.

“Not in the least, but you are an effective alternative to a sleeping pill, so I guess we should fool around.”

When Charlie woke up, he was a bundle of nerves, his normal state every time he was going to give an opening statement. He and Bridget forced themselves to eat a hearty breakfast packed with protein even though they had no appetite. It was going to be a long couple of weeks, and they knew from experience that they would need every ounce of energy their bodies could manufacture.

A group of reporters were waiting in the hallway outside Judge Steinbock’s courtroom when Bridget and Charlie rounded the corner. They swarmed the defense team, and Charlie had to use a string of “No comment”s as a battering ram as he and his cocounsel forced their way into the packed courtroom.

Thomas Grant and Mary Choi, a deputy DA, were conferring at the prosecution counsel table when Charlie and Bridget pushed through the bar of the court.

“Good morning, Tom and Mary,” Bridget said.

Grant smiled. “I expect it is going to be.”

As soon as the defense team was seated, the guards led Alexis out of the holding area wearing a set of clothes that Bridget had arranged for her to wear that made her look like an attorney instead of a felon. The guards guided Alexis to a seat next to Bridget.

“What happens today?” Alexis asked.

“Charlie and the prosecutor give their opening statements,” Bridget answered.

“So, are we off and running?”

“Yup,” Bridget answered just as Judge Steinbock took the bench.

“Good morning, everybody,” the judge said. “Are you ready to give your opening statements?”

“Ready for the State,” Grant said.

“Ready for Miss Chandler,” Charlie told the judge.

“Then let’s bring in the jury and get started.”

As soon as the jurors were seated, Thomas Grant stood and walked to the jury box.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. The events that form the basis for the charges against the defendant occurred two years ago. The reason that her trial is only being held now is because she was on the run, hiding in Mexico, until she was arrested recently.

“One of the defendant’s victims is a man named Leon Golden, who is serving a lengthy sentence in the Oregon State Penitentiary. Mr. Golden was a successful movie producer who lived in an estate near the Columbia River Gorge that was surrounded by a high wall decked out with razor wire and patrolled by guards with vicious dogs. Gretchen Hall, a wealthy woman who owned La Bella Roma restaurant, was Mr. Golden’s coconspirator. She would lure young women, some underage, to Mr. Golden’s estate with a promise that they would get a part in a motion picture. Once inside, these women became prisoners who were forced to have sex with men. One of these women was Annie Chandler, the defendant’s sister. Annie was raped and murdered by Anthony Noonan, a judge on this circuit court, who is now serving a life sentence in the Oregon State Penitentiary. We know that Mr. Noonan killed Annie Chandler because we have a movie that shows the murder, which, unfortunately, you will see as part of the evidence in this case.”

Grant paused to let the jurors digest this information.

“The defendant learned that Gretchen Hall had lured her sister to Golden’s estate. Then her sister disappeared. Soon after, she learned that Hall and Golden had been arrested for running a sex trafficking ring.

“You will learn that the defendant is a trained sniper who served in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. As soon as she figured out that Hall and Golden were responsible for her sister’s death, she came to Oregon and went on a killing spree that left Gretchen Hall, Golden’s bodyguard, Yuri Makarov, and a man named Brent Atkins dead and Mr. Golden severely wounded. She also kidnapped Detective Sally Blaisedale when she went on the run.

“Now, the defense is going to tell you about the rape and murder of Annie Chandler,” Grant began the conclusion to his statement. “They are going to ask you to forgive the defendant’s equally cold and calculating murders of the people involved in Leon Golden’s criminal enterprise. But our society no longer permits people to take the law into their own hands. A long time ago, civilized society decided that neutral people, like yourselves, should decide if an accused should be punished, and a neutral judge should decide the punishment. That’s what happened with Anthony Noonan and Leon Golden, who are serving prison sentences as punishment for the crimes they committed.

“Why do we do that? To avoid aggrieved people acting on emotion and killing innocent people, like Brent Atkins, who the defendant murdered in cold blood, even though he had no connection whatsoever to the murder of her sister.

“When all of the evidence is in, there will be no reasonable doubt in your minds that Alexis Chandler took the law into her own hands when she murdered Gretchen Hall, Yuri Makarov, and Brent Atkins, crippled Leon Golden, and kidnapped Portland detective Sally Blaisedale. Thank you.”

“Mr. Webb,” Judge Steinbock said.

“Thank you, Your Honor,” Charlie said as he walked over to the jury box and addressed the jurors. “And thank you for taking time from your busy lives to listen to the evidence in this case.

“Now, Alexis Chandler may or may not present evidence to you. In the American judicial system created by our forefathers, a defendant in a criminal case has no duty under the Constitution to do anything.

“When the State of Oregon arrests a person, the Constitution and laws of criminal procedure require everyone to presume that the defendant is completely innocent and has done nothing wrong. Our American Constitution requires you to start this trial assuming that the State screwed up when they charged Miss Chandler, that it made a mistake.

“A district attorney starts a trial bearing the burden of proving a defendant’s guilt beyond any reasonable doubt. In the American judicial system, a defendant had no burden on her to do anything. She doesn’t have to produce any witnesses or evidence or cross-examine the State’s witnesses. Alexis and I can go to a movie during the trial and just return for the verdict.

“Now, what do we mean when we say that the district attorney has the burden of proving Alexis is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt? This is what it means. Let’s say that after hearing all of the evidence emotionally—in your heart—you feel that Miss Chandler is guilty, and unemotionally—using logic and being objective—you feel that she is guilty, but there was one single piece of evidence, like a photograph or a statement by a police officer, that raises one single reasonable doubt in your mind about her guilt; it is your patriotic duty as an American citizen to free her.

“I’m not going to tell you what the evidence will show. You’ll be hearing the witnesses when I sit down. But I will ask you to refrain from drawing any conclusions about whether what Alexis did to the terrible people who callously and cruelly took her sister Annie’s life constituted a crime until all of the evidence is in. Thank you.”

“Call your first witness,” Judge Steinbock said when Charlie was seated.

“The People call Detective Gordon Rawls.”

The detective had traded his blazer and turtleneck for a banker’s dark suit, white shirt, tasteful navy-blue tie, and shoes that were so well shined that they could have been mirrors. When he was seated in the witness-box, Rawls stated his name and told the jurors his professional history.

“Two years ago, were you and your partner, Detective Sally Blaisedale, tasked with the job of investigating the murder of two people whose bodies were found in Tryon Creek state park?” Grant asked.

“Yes.”

“Who were the victims?”

“A Miss Gretchen Hall and a Mr. Yuri Makarov.”

“Had you heard about these two people before?”

“Yes. They had been indicted, along with a Mr. Leon Golden, on charges of operating a ring that trafficked young girls for sex.”

“Sometime later, did you and Detective Blaisedale go to Leon Golden’s estate?”

“Yes.”

“What did you find?”

“Mr. Golden had been shot in the knee and knocked unconscious.”

“Did he name his assailant?”

“He said that the defendant had attacked him after blaming him for the murder of her sister.”

“Did he tell you anything the defendant said about the murders of Miss Hall and Mr. Makarov?”

“Mr. Golden said that the defendant confessed to killing them.”

“Was a gun found next to Mr. Golden?”

“Yes.”

“Did you ask him about the gun?”

“I did.”

“What did he say?”

“Objection, hearsay,” Bridget said.

“May we approach?” Grant said.

Bridget, Charlie, and the prosecutor walked to the side of the judge’s bench.

“Mr. Golden has been convicted of several serious crimes, and his case is being appealed,” Grant said. “His lawyer won’t let him testify. This is the only way we can get some very important information to the jury.”

“What will Detective Rawls say Golden told him?” the judge asked.

“Golden told him that he’d never seen the gun or taken a shot at the defendant.”

“Are you introducing this testimony to prove the truth of the statement?” Judge Steinbock asked.

“Yes.”

“That’s classic hearsay,” Bridget said. “There’s no way that’s admissible.”

“I agree,” the judge said.

Grant looked frustrated. “They didn’t object to some of Rawls’s other testimony about what Golden said.”

“We don’t have to,” Bridget countered, “but we are objecting to this line of questioning.”

“I’m going to sustain the objection,” the judge said. “Move on to another topic.”

Grant composed himself so the jury wouldn’t see that he’d lost, and walked back to his seat.

“Detective Rawls, was the first person you suspected of killing Miss Hall and Mr. Makarov a man named Lawrence Weiss, who also calls himself Guido Sabatini?”

“Yes.”

“At some point in your investigation, did you search the woods surrounding Mr. Weiss’s farm?”

“Yes.”

“Did you find a dead body in the woods?”

“Yes. He was identified as Brent Atkins.”

“Did the crime lab perform a ballistics test on the bullet that killed Mr. Atkins?”

“Yes.”

“What did they find?”

“That bullet and the bullets that killed Miss Hall and Mr. Makarov were fired from the same gun.”

“Did you receive a flash drive that contained a video of Anthony Noonan, a circuit court judge, raping and murdering a young woman named Annie Chandler?”

“Yes.”

“Was Annie Chandler related to the defendant?”

“She was her sister.”

The jurors looked across the courtroom at Alexis. Her head was down, and Bridget put an arm around her shoulder.

“Did you also come into possession of a voicemail that Annie Chandler sent the defendant?”

“Yes.”

“Your Honor, I’d like to have the voicemail marked as State’s exhibit one, and I’d like to play it for the jury.”

“No objection,” Charlie said.

The jurors kept watching Alexis while they listened to the voicemail. She was visibly upset.

“When you and Detective Blaisedale went to Leon Golden’s estate, were you accompanied by other police officers?” Grant asked when the voicemail finished playing.

“We were. We had received information that Mr. Golden’s life might be in danger.”

“Did something happen to Detective Blaisedale at the estate?”

“Yes. When we arrived, the defendant ran away from Mr. Golden’s house into the thick woods that bordered it. Detective Blaisedale, several officers, and I chased after her. When we couldn’t find the defendant, I returned to the house and learned that Detective Blaisedale had been taken from the scene by the defendant.”

“Were you able to apprehend the defendant during the days that followed the kidnapping of Detective Blaisedale?”

“No. She disappeared.”

“When was she arrested?”

“Recently. We received a tip that the defendant was living in a town in Mexico. The Mexican authorities arrested her, and she waived extradition.”

“Your witness,” Grant said to Charlie and Bridget.

“Good morning, Detective Rawls,” Bridget said.

Rawls nodded.

“Isn’t it true that Miss Chandler dropped off Detective Blaisedale unharmed the next morning?”

“The defendant did let Sally out near the California-Mexico border, but she did have some injuries.”

“Minor injuries?”

“Yes.”

“You viewed Miss Hall’s body at Tryon Creek, did you not?”

“Yes.”

“Was she shot in the front?”

“Yes.”

“Did you find a suitcase with fifty thousand dollars in it near her body?”

“Yes.”

“And there was a handgun lying next to Miss Hall, wasn’t there?”

“Yes.”

“Did you view Mr. Makarov’s body at the park?”

“Yes.”

“Was he shot in the front?”

“Yes.”

“Did he have a handgun near him?”

“Yes.”

“Mr. Atkins’s body was found in the woods surrounding Mr. Weiss’s farm, was it not?”

“Yes.”

“Did you learn that Mr. Weiss had won a lot of money from Mr. Atkins at poker?”

“Yes.”

“Did you learn that Mr. Atkins and his brother had tried to rob Mr. Weiss in the parking lot of the building where the poker game was held?”

“Yes.”

“You interviewed Mr. Atkins’s brother, did you not?”

“Yes.”

“Did he tell you that Brent Atkins had gone to Mr. Weiss’s farm seeking revenge?”

“Yes.”

“If you wanted to sneak up on Mr. Weiss’s house, could you have gone through the woods at the point where Mr. Atkins’s body was discovered?”

“Yes.”

“Did Mr. Atkins have a firearm when you saw his body in the woods?”

“Yes.”

“Was he shot in the front?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t have any more questions for Detective Rawls,” Bridget said.

“The State calls Detective Sally Blaisedale.”

Blaisedale cast a brief look at Alexis as she walked through the bar of the court to take the oath.

“Did you go to the estate of Leon Golden two years ago because you had received information that his life might be in danger?” Grant asked when Blaisedale was sworn.

“Yes.”

“Had you been to the estate before?”

“Yes.”

“Please describe the estate and the security measures Leon Golden employed when you went to the estate the first time.”

The detective told the jury about the wall and the guards and dogs that patrolled the grounds.

“Tell the jury what happened at the estate when you went there on the second occasion.”

Blaisedale told the jurors about being captured by Alexis during the search for her in the woods that surrounded the estate, their ride to a town near the California-Mexico border, and her subsequent release.

“Did you agree to accompany the defendant when she left Mr. Golden’s estate?” Grant asked.

“No, sir. I did not.”

“Did she take you from the estate to the California border by force?”

“She did.”

“While you were with the defendant, did she tell you that she was the person who shot and killed Gretchen Hall and Yuri Makarov?”

“She did.”

“What did she say?”

“She said, ‘Those scum deserved to die for what they did to my sister and all the other girls.’”

“No further questions.”

“Detective, isn’t it true that you suffered almost no harm at Miss Chandler’s hands?” Bridget asked.

“She put me in a choke hold, knocked me to the ground, chopped my hand, and handcuffed me.”

“After Miss Chandler chopped your hand, did you have a lasting injury?”

“No.”

“Did Miss Chandler choke you unconscious or just use the hold to restrain you?”

“I… She just held me.”

“Did you have any lasting injury to your neck?”

“No.”

“Did she make the handcuffs very tight?”

“No.”

“Miss Chandler let you out a short distance from a small town near the California border, didn’t she?”

“Yes.”

“She took off the handcuffs?”

“Yes.”

“Did she give you some money and tell you that there was a restaurant a mile down the road where you could get a meal?”

“Yes.”

“And she told you that she would keep your phone, but she would call the local police to tell them where you were?”

“Yes.”

“Did she do what she promised?”

“Yes.”

“No further questions.”

“No redirect,” Grant said.

“It’s almost noon,” Judge Steinbock said. “Let’s break for lunch and reconvene at one thirty.”

The rest of the day was taken up by the medical examiner, who established the causes of death of Gretchen Hall, Yuri Makarov, and Brent Atkins; a doctor who testified about the seriousness of Leon Golden’s knee injury; an army captain who testified about the military training Alexis received and the places she was deployed; and Margaret Nelson, a ballistics expert, who testified that the three murder victims were shot with the same gun.

“Mrs. Nelson, what is a GSR test?” Bridget asked when the prosecutor turned over the witness for cross-examination.

“It’s a gunshot residue test. We wipe the hand of an individual to see if we can detect the distinctive chemicals that are deposited on a person’s skin or clothing when a gun is fired.”

“Did someone wipe Leon Golden’s hand when he was found wounded at his estate?”

“Yes.”

“Did you do a GSR test to see if Mr. Golden had fired a gun?”

“Yes.”

“What was the result of the test?”

“It was determined that Mr. Golden had gunshot residue on his right hand.”

“What about his left hand?”

“No residue was detected.”

“Thank you. No further questions.”

“Mr. Grant?” Judge Steinbock asked.

“The State rests, Your Honor.”

“Mr. Webb, do you have some motions for the court?” the judge asked.

“We do.”

“Then let’s recess and take them up in the morning.”

“How are we doing?” Alexis asked as Charlie started to put his papers in his briefcase.

“The defense rarely does well when the State presents its case,” Charlie said as the guards approached to take Alexis back to the jail. “Our turn will come tomorrow.”