Jeffrey MacDonald (Fatal Vision) appeal being heard after 40 years

[CatWoman]

RICHMOND, Va. — A federal appeals court in Virginia spent about 45 minutes Tuesday questioning lawyers about the latest bid for a new trial for a former Army doctor convicted in the 1970 slayings of his pregnant wife and two daughters.

Jeffrey MacDonald is serving three life terms for the 1970 murders that spawned the book and TV miniseries "Fatal Vision." He is asking the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to allow him to introduce new evidence, including DNA tests and sworn statements by two people who are now dead, supporting his claim of innocence.

MacDonald has always maintained that four drug-crazed hippies killed his family in their Fort Bragg, N.C., home.

His wife of nine years, Kathryn MacDonald, said after the hearing that she was encouraged by the appeals court's questioning. A ruling is expected in a few weeks.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20100323/us-fatal-vision/

[hlthe2b]

1. Hmmm... good luck, I guess...

I've followed this story over the years and frankly, I am not moved that he might be "innocent." But, I'm all for appeals, if the evidence is there.

[DURHAM D]

2. I am with you.

Were he not a "doctor" no one would even listen to him.

He wants the white male professional premium.

[devilgrrl]

3. Appeal what? He did the deed.

:popcorn:

[WeekendWarrior]

4. You don't know that.

You might suspect it. You might think the jury was right. But you can't possibly know with such certainty.

If an appeal has been granted, then there must be evidence to support that appeal. Appeals are EXTREMELY hard to win.

[devilgrrl]

8. Oh okay... it was "Drug crazed hippies" "Kill the Pigs - Acid is Groovy!"

:eyes: Uh huh.... sure.... :eyes:

[tonysam]

9. And he had magazines featuring Charles Manson right there in the room

where MacDonald murdered his wife Colette.

The man is a sociopath and is very scary to watch in interviews BECAUSE he sounds so utterly believable. He even got remarried and conned that silly woman into believing he is innocent.

MacDonald will die in prison.

[WeekendWarrior]

12. The POINT is

we live in a country where people are afforded certain rights. He has a right to an appeal and if that appeal is granted, he has a right to a new trial.

Do you not agree with that?

Unless you stood in that room and saw him pull the trigger, you cannot know ANYTHING about this case with certainty. His story may be complete bullshit, but it may not. So your condescending bullshit doesn't fly.

[Bunny]

15. Actually, Colette and the girls were stabbed to death.

No guns involved.

And speaking of condescending bullshit: your concern about the rights of the accused and the convicted is nice and all, but this is DU and we're entitled to have an opinion based on the facts as they were presented at his trial and whatever other appeals he may have been through. We here aren't deciding his fate, so maybe you should just take a deep breath and let everyone express their thoughts. If he gets a new trial, fine. I'm all for looking at new evidence or whatever else he's got. If he's acquitted, so be it. I happen to think he's guilty of butchering his family in a speed-induced psychosis. If he can prove otherwise, good for him.

[WeekendWarrior]

16. Guns, knives, doesn't matter

that's just a distraction from the point.

Do you really think the opinions expressed above are based on actual facts or simply on emotion? Had they expressed their opinion as you have, then that's fine. But the snark and condescension, combined with absolute certainty about something they know nothing about is complete and utter bullshit.

And I happen to think he's guilty, too. Doesn't mean I'm right.

[CatWoman]

5. at one time I was firmly convinced of that

but I'm not so sure anymore.......

[msanthrope]

6. Indeed he did--blaming hippies for his speed-induced rage didn't

work for him.

[tonysam]

7. It was a crock of shit. He did it. He might have been high on drugs himself.

He sounds VERY convincing when you hear him, just as killers Richard Illes or Chaz Higgs sound convincing (interesting all of them were in the medical field) claiming they were innocent, but they are ALL guilty as sin.

[WeekendWarrior]

14. And you people call yourself progressives?

You have a right to your opinion, but you don't know ANYTHING about this case with any certainty. The appeal -- which is an extremely unforgiving process -- is being heard for a REASON.

I'm curious. Do you support the death penalty? If not, why? Could it be because some of the people in jail for murder might actually be innocent?

I'm not defending this guy. I'm defending ALL OF US and our rights for fairness. If there is new evidence that could free him, then it should be heard.

This blanket condemnation of the man -- despite your complete lack of first hand knowledge -- is appalling to me.

[itsrobert]

10. "His wife of nine years, Kathryn MacDonald"

How did he get a wife in prison?

[Bunny]

11. You've never heard of women marrying prisoners?

:shrug:

[CatWoman]

13. even one of the Menendez brothers got married in prison....

[frogmarch]

17. The DNA evidence

that I suppose he wants introduced pertains to the three hairs that didn't match anyone in the MacDonald family - two found near his wife (one on the bed sheet and one near the leg area of her body outline) and the other hair found under the fingernail of one of his murdered daughters.

I don't know if DNA was extracted from the mystery hairs, or if they were merely visually compared to hair samples from the family. Also, were the three mystery hairs compared to each other, either visually or through DNA testing? I recall reading years ago that the hair found under the child's fingernail may have come from her doll. If it did, then the hair must have been synthetic. If it was and the two mystery hairs found near MacDonald's wife, Collette, matched that one, they too must have been synthetic. If none of the three mystery hairs was synthetic and DNA was obtained from them, surely the information was run through CODIS.

I think Jeffrey MacDonald is good for it. I feel sure he's the killer, not some drug-crazed hippies.

If he's granted a new trial, I'd like to be there.