Faces of an Accused Serial Shooter - Continuing Coverage 10/16/08
NOTE: The following updates referencing the ongoing trial of Dale Hausner are based on personal observations and include paraphrasing and quotes taken from media covering the trial.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008:
In a second full day of testimony, defense attorney Ken Everett's team attempted to discredit the police investigation while on the other hand, prosecutors appeared to be building the case against Dale Hausner in a chronological fashion. Taking the stand first was Carl Zolnarchik whose dog, Whiskey, was killed on July 19, 2005. Whiskey was killed when no one had any idea the random shootings plaguing the west valley were connected.
As the morning proceedings continued, an unscripted dramatic moment caused a brief commotion in Judge Roland Steinle"s fourth floor courtroom. Here is the dramatic scene as described by Nick R. Martin, an East Valley Tribune reporter covering the trial:
"The jury was seated. Prosecutors were revved up. The mother of one of the victims has just taken the stand. Then, the lights went out. The windowless courtroom went pitch black and no one could see anyone else, including Hausner, who was uncuffed and wearing street clothing. Two guards pulled out their flashlights and shined them in the direction of Hausner, but could not spot him. In the darkness, Hausner reached out toward one of the lights. 'I’m right here,’ he said. About 30 seconds later, the lights came back on. Jurors sighed with relief. Judge Roland Steinle chimed in from the bench: ‘Kind of thought the county forgot to pay the electric bill.’ As of Tuesday afternoon, there was still no word on what caused the outage.”
Wednesday, October 15, 2008:
Perhaps the most dramatic moment during Wednesday’s trial came when accused “Serial Shooter” Dale Hausner was ready to take his seat at the defense table but missed it and fell to the floor. Appearing embarrassed, Hausner’s attorneys helped him up and into the chair. No injuries were apparent.
After lunch, Isaac Crudup was asked to testify. After taking the oath to “tell the truth and nothing but the truth…” the grandfatherly man took his seat on the witness stand, his bright yellow shirt stood out against the multitude of gray suits in the room. Prosecutor Vince Immordino began by asking Crudup a multitude of questions surrounding the events the night of November 11, 2005 when shots rang out and killed Crudup’s year-old pet, a dog named Shep who, along with his other dog, Max were out in the backyard that was surrounded by a chain-linked fence. At first glance, Crudup didn’t realize the extent of Shep’s injuries but knew something was amiss when an unusually quiet Shep crawled under a small end table—something he hadn’t done since he was a very tiny puppy. Crudup took the dog to a vet where later that night, Shep was euthanized.
Hausner, wearing a long-sleeved maroon shirt, sat quietly at the table alternately sipping coffee and water from two Styrofoam cups in front of him.
Next up a 16 year-old boy, clean-cut, but obviously intimidated by courtrooms and trial proceedings; he nervously took the stand after Crudup was excused. Attorney Immordino did his best to put the youth at ease, but you could barely hear the teen’s voice as he described the night his dog, Irving, was shot. At around 9:48 p.m. on November 11, 2005, he and the dog were outside; he was in his brother’s truck parked in the driveway. He noticed a car drive by, and then backed up near where the dog was standing. Suddenly three shots rang out from a “…little car…with four doors.” Two of the three bullets hit the dog, but were not enough to take the life of this family’s pet. Testimony continued when Glendale police Officer Frank Grijalva related his involvement when he responded to the initial call of “shots fired.”
After a brief break, the prosecution team set the scene surrounding the murder of Nathaniel Schoffner, 45, who was shot while walking in the area of Central and Monroe on November 11, 2005. Schoffner died two days later. Off-duty Phoenix police Officer Christopher Scranton was the first to find Schoffner lying in the street near the curb. Testimony from Scranton and responding Phoenix Officer David Thwing, confirmed that Schoffner had sustained a shotgun blast to his stomach. Prosecutors have also implied that Jeff Hausner, Dale’s older brother, was involved in this shooting, but he has not been charged in it.
The trial will resume on Monday, October 20th at 10:30 a.m.
Faces of an Accused Serial Shooter - 10/09/08
Defense attorney, Ken Everett, opened Day 2 of accused serial killer Dale Hausner’s trial by telling jurors that Hausner is being fingered for killing eight people and targeting 20 others by his roommate, Samuel Dieteman. On the other hand, prosecutors, led by Vincent Imbordino, called Hausner “…a narcissist who watched with excitement as news reports logged his alleged killings and fear spread across the Phoenix area in 2005 and 2006. “
Monday, jurors were shown a power-point presentation against Hausner as prosecutor Vince Imbordino provided talking points substantiating the more than 80 counts against the accused killer. The following day, defense attorney Everett denied every one during a power-point of his own. The dueling attorneys shared photographs, movie ticket stubs, phone records, credit-card records, and logs from day planners, and much more as they tried to paint two pictures of the man who sat at the table nervously shaking his leg during the proceedings.
Dieteman, 32, has pleaded guilty to two murders and agreed to testify against Hausner whom he has called the mastermind of the shootings. Dieteman faces the death penalty, but Everett thinks his testimony against Hausner will sway the jury to spare his life. “He wants his testimony to be mitigating evidence so he doesn’t die,” Everett said, raising his voice for emphasis. Hausner fidgeted in his chair at the defense table and mouthed the word, “Yes.”
Day 3 of the trial began Wednesday, October 8th with testimony for the prosecution about the first of the crimes in the series.