In Her Defense by Amy Impellizzeri

Author:Amy Impellizzeri [Impellizzeri, Amy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781954332447
Publisher: Wyatt-MacKenzie
Published: 2022-05-02T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

Always One Step Ahead

On the following Tuesday, Ingrid’s post office box that she’s opened for communication relating to the case is full. It seems the prosecution has made another discovery drop and there’s also a notice confirming the date and time for the upcoming preliminary conference. Sure enough, the Judge that Jane warned Ingrid about is listed right there on the notice: Lance Regan, his name, boxy and large, barely fitting on the space allotted, is inked on the signature line.

Ingrid flips through the new papers produced by the prosecution while she’s walking from the post office to her car. What could the prosecution have found out that helps their case? They’re so sure they have more evidence that they’ve decided they need to produce it under the rules of evidence? Still nothing regarding a murder weapon or a motive to kill Peter as far as Ingrid can see with a quick flip of the pages. Instead, it’s a coroner’s report and a police report about the additional body found in the lot behind DIVAS.

The body has been identified as William Russo, former owner of DIVAS. The fact that the prosecution has felt it necessary to produce these documents means they believe this body has something to do with the current case. Real murder trials are nothing like the ones on television. There are no surprises at trial. If the prosecution wants to offer evidence, they have to show the other counsel first. They have to give Ingrid everything they have. When she gets to her car outside the post office, Ingrid pushes the seat back and studies the documents in more detail.

The body of William Russo was heavily decomposed. Ingrid moves the photographs produced to the bottom of the pile and focuses on the written report instead, equally gruesome, but more palatable than the photographs. The coroner classified the death as a homicide, and estimated the time of death as approximately six years earlier based on the decomposition of the body.

The police report added details to the narrative, including that William Russo was the sole owner of record of the DIVAS Club and the adjacent lot in 2016, the year he suddenly went missing. Apparently, there was a very short investigation into his disappearance in 2016, as not too many people actually missed Mr. Russo, other than some questionable characters, including creditors, drug dealers, and sex traffickers. The case was closed quickly, with resources needed for other missing persons. His home and surrounding area were searched for clues about his disappearance. The bar was searched for evidence, but apparently no one thought to actually look for a body on the premises at the time. He was still presumed missing, not dead. The recent discovery of Russo’s remains was the result of an anonymous tip just a week earlier.

Within the prosecution’s package is also a pretrial motion in limine to allow the coroner’s report and the police report relating to the discovery of Russo’s body. While it is somewhat

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