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| Erin Corwin and her mom, Lore Heavilin/Facebook |
He interpreted the evidence a certain way, and tried to convince the jury to interpret it as he did. Basically, that Christopher Brandon Lee is guilty of voluntary manslaughter, because the prosecution didn't prove its case for first degree murder with the special circumstance of lying in wait.
I think anyone who has been reading this blog knows this just isn't true. The evidence is simply overwhelming that Lee planned to murder Erin Corwin as soon as he learned she was pregnant with his baby. Lee came up with the molestation "confession" nonsense so he could try and hoodwink the jury into believing there was provocation to kill Erin. To me, Lee's provocation claim defies all logic and common sense
Fortunately, ADA Sean Daugherty had the last word in the form of his rebuttal. He equated Kaloyanides' plea to the jury to ignore all of Lee's previous lies, to the Wizard's plea in "The Wizard of Oz" to "pay no attention to that man behind the curtain."
He argued against Kaloyanides' assertion that the video of Erin's body in the mine shaft proved Lee threw Erin in after all of the mine blowing-up materials. Daugherty proved Kaloyanides' claim was incorrect by showing video of Erin's body in the mine shaft, with one of the tires clearly covering Erin's head. As Dr. Frank Sheridan testified, Erin suffered a fracture to the skull while her heart was still beating. He believed the fracture was caused by a blow to the head, not from her head hitting an object (like the bottom of the mine shaft). Daugherty suggested to the jury that it was the tire falling on Erin after Lee threw her in the mine shaft that caused that fracture.
Oh, one more thing. Guess who showed up for the prosecution's rebuttal case? Nichole Lee. She was not wearing her infamous white shoes, but red platform pumps and a black skirt suit. She also had on a necklace from which a giant cross hung. From her seat next to other courtroom observers, she spoke out at least twice during Daugherty's rebuttal, but I could not hear exactly what she said, so I doubt the jury could.
Now the jury has the case. I believe those reading this blog want the same thing I do - justice for Erin Corwin, and peace for her family. It is a long time coming.
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ReplyDeleteYes. Thank you for taking us in the courtroom!
ReplyDeleteRemind us of who Nichole Lee is? You've repeatedly derided her for breathing. No one else has been described by their clothing in such a contemptuous manner. Nichole was a faithful wife and mother who had something horrendous happen to her. Erin Corwin broke marriage vows with her husband with a man she knew had a wife and child. Erin Corwin chose to do that of her free will. What happened to Erin was unthinkable but she cheated and cheated and cheated and you end this blog with one more shot at the faithful wife and mother. I'm sick of your blog that has glamorized this cheater while putting down the married mother who has endured everything that's come after. Shame on you. I know you don't have the balls to post this. Hopefully Nichole is coming back to Alaska and get away from you horrible, biased people.
ReplyDeleteYou say she Nicole was a faithful loving mother, how do you know she didn't cheat on her husband too? There were a lot of witnesses who had a lot to say about Nicole, that didn't sound like she was such an angel. The comments she made about wishing Erin was dead, or how she hated the Bitch, or how about the comment Nicole said about, if they don't find a body, they don't have a case ? My opinion is, she probably knew something before, during or after the fact of Erin's disappearance. She don't sound like such a great person to me. I only feel sorry for Nicole's daughter. Her and Erin are the victim's here.
DeleteYou say Nicole was a faithful wife and mother? How do we know she hasn't cheated too ? I've been reading about the trial every day and as I read it I noticed there were quite a few witnesses who testified Nicole saying how she hated the Bitch, didn't care if she was dead, and didn't they say she is the one who knew where the gun was hidden ? She doesn't sound like such a great person to me, actually with all that testimony I read, she sounded like she knew something about Erin's disappearance/ murder, before, during or after . Especially her comment about " No body, they have no case ". They better look again at her involvement
DeleteThe only person I see as victims in this whole awful true story is Erin and Nicole's little girl.
Yes just who was Nicole Lee.....what did she know about the murder of Erin? How did she know that there was a body to be found before they found Erin at the bottom of that mind shaft? Yes just who is this Nicole Lee and what exactly did she know ?????
DeleteAnonymous #1 (Otherwise known as Nicole Lee or one of her cronies),
DeleteNEWSFLASH! This isn't about you. Were you sad that you didn't get called to the stand so you could make it about you? Why did you have a lawyer with you? Why did your lawyer ADVISE you NOT TO SAY ANYTHING? You seem to enjoy making a spectacle about yourself. Those that do protest the most have the most to hide. What are you hiding?
You are simply a woman who helped her husband dispose of a nuisance in your life. While the justice system declined to prosecute you, you know damn well (along with every other person watching) that you had a part in the killing and dumping of Erin in a mine. Your own statements SHOWED you had a part in it. And now you have the audacity to come here and act like a victim? Pah-leeze.
Keep on moving your butt right back up to Alaska. You are not wanted here. Buh-Bye!
By the way, God help the next idiot you hook up with. You sure do pick winners.
I will end with a definition for you.
KARMA
noun
"The sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences."
"destiny or fate, following as effect from cause."
I would hate to be you.
Nichole Lee is the wife of a now convicted murderer and who seemingly tried to cover it up. A woman scorned perhaps. Erin cheated with Nichole's husband but she didn't deserve death. She obviously supports her husband, even now. Please take her back to Alaska.
DeleteWhat about Baby Lee? What about the child that will never have her Daddy at her parties.
DeleteIF this is Nicole girl divorce CL take all his pension, take your baby and yourself to a counselor. This is probably going to get harder before it gets easier. HELP your child deal with this. And btw thank you for not putting your baby through the actual trial. What are you gonna tell your baby.. it's terrible that any of you had to go through this true. But instead of being angry at the public be pissed at your man for straying. Be completely livid for what he did to your family unit.
Yes people are angry around here. We would've been equally angry if God Forbid, this happened to you.. GIRL I get that you were and are mad but girl your mad for the wrong reasons. Take your family to a counselor. Learn how to talk to Lit Lee..
All you people here ragging on Nichole, and making Erin out to be some kind of saint.. Buck-Up. Do you not understand that Erin was actually hoping for a marriage proposal from Chris that day? What about little Liberty Lee? No Erin wasn't thinking about HER that day. She wasn't thinking of the effect it would have on a child's life. Liberty is supposed to lose all sense of stability and family, lose one of her main role models of decent behavior, and be robbed of her innocence all because some ditsy, teenaged girl, who couldn't make it work with her own husband of less than two years, decides she has a hard-on for her father? Erin literally hoped to break up a child's family, that is a pretty despicable thing to want. Yet you people put her on a pedestal. Check yourselves!
DeleteI am not putting Erin on a pedestal. She was young, she was probably "ditsy," and everyone who knows about this story knows she had an affair with a married father of one. She did not have an affair by herself. If Christopher Brandon Lee was such a straight-up guy, a "role model of decent behavior," as you say, he would not have had his head turned by his 19-year-old neighbor. He could have said, "No, I am a family man with a wife and daughter." He could have said, "I love my wife and daughter, and I would not hurt them even if I wanted to sleep with you." Instead, he chose to have an affair, and he wrote Erin love letters and admitted on the stand that he loved her. Christopher Brandon Lee could have said no, and he did not.
DeleteWere Erin Corwin's mistakes such that they called for being set up by Christopher Brandon Lee, taken out to the desert, strangled to death, and thrown into a mine shaft while her anxious family waited, wondering what had become of her, and rescue and recovery workers spent countless hours searching?
Uh, no. It isn't right, but married people do have affairs.
So... criticize the dead victim and call her names; she is not here to defend herself. She never had the chance to make amends for her mistakes.
Christopher and Nichole Lee could have returned to Alaska and gotten on with their lives. If Erin Corwin was pregnant with Lee's child, it all could have been resolved with child support payments and a visitation arrangement. Uncomfortable and inconvenient at first, but let's face it, with time it would be accepted, as many, many people have blended families. Putting aside vanity and accepting reality as loving Christians, this was not the end of the world. Far from it. Embarrassing, sure. Worthy of murder, no.
Erin Corwin paid for the consequences of her mistakes with her life.
Christopher Brandon Lee compounded his mistakes with unthinkable, deliberate, cold blooded murder. Afterward, he was a coward and remained silent while many people searched for Erin's body in difficult conditions. Lee is also demonstrated to be an incorrigible liar, as he admitted on the stand.
Now he will pay for the consequences of his conduct. He is young and has a long life to live in prison in California, far from his family and daughter.
None of it had to be this way, but it is this way because of his choices.
p.s. It is such a shame that you identify Lee's child by her first name.
No, Erin was not a saint. She was a young, naïve girl who made a mistake. Did she deserve to die for her indiscretion? Absolutely not!
DeleteMake no mistake, it was Christopher Lee's choices and actions that have left Liberty without a father. It was Lee who put her life in turmoil, not Erin.
Plenty of people make mistakes and have flings but not everyone chooses to murder their lover when it's over. You, sir, need to check YOURSELF.
John Townsend, thank you for defending Nichole. I watched her grow up and have the same innocent pictures of her loving animals and championing horses as this blog. Countless pictures of a really wonderful, loving mother. Nichole even brought up to Alaska two horses that she sponsored from Isabel's horse ranch after what happened to her husband. She didn't deserve to have this blogger say nothing but bad things about her while she says she's getting "justice for Erin." I hate what happened to Erin, but Nichole should be treated with dignity too.
DeleteEvery time a few of us point out that Nichole should be treated with dignity too, a bunch of you go off stating how terrible it was what Chris Lee did to Erin. I absolutely agree what Chris did was despicable. However, he confessed to solely murdering her. He murdered her. Nichole did not. Nichole's life has been ruined like everyone that has been touched by this horrible crime. But Chris Lee confessed. You Nichole haters all got justice for Erin. You say things like Nichole should die and her daughter should die and she probably was a cheater, blah, blah, blah. Your terrible, angry, irrational rants are disgusting. Jon Corwin gets dignity from this mob even though he came in and testified Erin cheated on him. But how dare Nichole do the same. And we never will know what Nichole would have testified to because she was never called to the stand. You ranters remind me of the haters at the Salem Witch trials -- all anger with no common sense. Justice for Nichole Lee. You haters, leave her alone. Nichole deserves as much dignity as Erin's mother and husband. Stop hating her for what Chris did.
DeleteAs the judge had already stated the prosecution did prove its case for first degree murder with the special circumstance of lying in wait. I hope and pray the jury comes up with justice for Erin. Erin was special to so many and now is with God and all of her family that went before her. We love Erin. Lee and any one else that had anything to do with hurting her need to pay for what they did to our girl.
ReplyDeleteJustice for Nichole Lee today would be you not mentioning her. Some day her daughter is going to grow up and probably read your blog.
ReplyDeleteIt would be wonderful not to mention Nicole Lee ever again.....but what did she know. Nicole Lee is the person that made sure she was talked about because of her actions !!!
DeleteChristopher and Nicole made sure that their daughter will forever know what kind people her parents are. The two of them made sure Liberty, their daughter, was brought into this trial. No one is to blame but Nicole and Christopher.
DeleteAnonymous #1 you're very obvious. Hello Nichole, you've between a huge burden this entire trial. Admit your husband cheated. Erin didn't do it alone. But infidelity doesn't equal death. Get a conscious, seek God and get help. You need it!!!
ReplyDeleteYes Nicole seek God and get help for he is the only one that can help you now.
DeleteGreat job covering this case/trial.
ReplyDeleteNichole's daughter is going to have a lot more to contend with than just reading the public opinions on the Justice for Erin Corwin Blog. For starters, her father is a convicted murderer; he will be in prison for the rest of his life. Secondly, he ruthlessly killed someone who the daughter knew very well--a family friend, her babysitter. Last, and more importantly, her father publicly lied that his daughter had been sexually abused by the person he murdered. When Nichole's daughter is old enough to understand the horror of her father's actions, she will need help to put things into perspective--hopefully, Nichole will get her priorities straighten out by then.
ReplyDeleteThere is a valid point that faithful wife and mother does not deserve a cheating husband. At same time, faithful wife and mother has a choice how to deal with and respond to such a crisis in her marriage and her husband's cheating. (Just as Erin Corwin's husband had a choice how he dealt with sad news of his spouse's affair). Cheating husband planned and executed an intentional murder of his 19-year-old mistress, and faithful wife and mother made her choice: to be complicit in cheating husband's murder of said mistress. She helped him hide evidence at the very least, and, it appears likely that faithful wife helped plan or at least encouraged cheating husband to commit murder.
ReplyDeleteSad was the day that this 19-year-old young lady's path crossed with Christopher Brandon Lee and his faithful wife and mother of his daughter, Nichole Lee. Erin Corwin appears to have been naïve in the extreme and certainly without any guile. She was no match for sociopath Christopher Brandon Lee and his wife. No match at all.
Sad, sad case. Justice for Erin Corwin? Only earthly justice, and it is not much of a consolation. What can fill the void her parents' broken hearts after knowing how their daughter died at the hands of this creep, who their daughter trusted ?
Perhaps Nichole Lee can consider (if she is capable) what the loss of her own daughter would mean to her?
As to any claim of "Justice for Nichole Lee" ... please. She has escaped without any charges and is a free woman. She can hardly complain about a lack of justice. She wants the news reports on this crime to omit any mention of her? Again, please.
If Erin is so much to blame according to Nichole's side, how would they feel if Erin murdered Christopher Lee? Would they still feel that he deserved it for being a cheater?
ReplyDeleteDeath is not an appropriate punishment for cheating. It wasn't fair for all involved.
It's shocking and appalling that CL's wife is still standing by him. He cheated on her and lied to her, then murdered someone to try to cover up the mess he made. He's a horrible person. Any wife with half a brain would have abandoned him long ago.
Christopher Brandon Lee took a poor choice in judgement & turned it into an irrevocable disaster.
ReplyDeleteNichole's consolation prize is a future more tainted than it would have been as a step mother. Maybe if she wasn't such a raving lunatic, her husband would have had better logic, since he's such a weakling.
I don't think this is an accurate statement by the person trying to defend what a great couple Christopher & Nichole Lee are: "Nichole even brought up to Alaska two horses that she sponsored from Isabel's horse ranch after what happened to her husband."
ReplyDeleteI know what Christopher Lee said he did, but I have no idea "what happened to him." Except that he was caught, in spite of what he tried to hide.
Well, now that I heard this story it still throws me for a loop that these two couples would allow their partners to associate with each other after discovering infidelity occurred. Most people would recognize that something is going on and then go for couple counseling to save the marriage. I also want to say that no one deserves to be murdered and their life taken over infidelity. I feel this murder took place because the husband was trying to prove to his wife he loved her and prove that she was the only one he loved. If this was his reasoning then yes he is mentally ill and if his wife was is aware of this murder then yes she his wife is also mentally disabled. It's the only explanation on why he did this murder. Why didn't he and his wife leave things alone and leave for Alaska without killing her. You just pack your crap and your wife and kid and go back to Alaska. Why kill the woman you had an affair with. No one gets away with murder now a days. The way Nicole reacted in the court room, with friends and with the detectives show she has mental health concerns too. on earth would you even show for court or have anything to do with a man who apparently thinks it's alright to murder someone? Why would you stay with a man who cheated on you? Why cover for him? Apparently she knew he killed her. I understand the fault is not on this woman Nichole. She didn't cheat. However, her anger should have been towards him too. Not just the woman. Her husband made a vow to her and he didn't honor his vows. He would have continued his behavior in the future. Once a cheat always a cheat. I never can trust anyone who finds it so easy to lie to a persons face. That behavior right there shows to others that the person lacks empathy. they have no ability to love another. They have no conscious. If they have no conscious then they are a Sociopath. A sociopath becomes labeled as a Psychopath once they have killed someone. I only pray that Nichole wakes up and gets herself and her child counseling and they make no efforts to visit this Psychopath.
ReplyDelete