“What the defense is asking you to believe is that there are two people inside the defendant, so no one bears any responsibility for her criminal actions. But there is only one defendant sitting in this courtroom—Ashley Patterson. We have proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is a murderer. But she claims she didn’t commit the crimes. That was done by someone else, someone who borrowed her body to kill innocent people—her alters. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all had alters, someone to carry out anything we secretly wanted done that society doesn’t permit? Or maybe not. Would you like to live in a world where people could go around murdering others and say, ’You can’t touch me, my alter did it’ and ’You can’t punish my alter because my alter is really me’?
“But this trial is not about some mythical characters who don’t exist. The defendant, Ashley Patterson, is on trial for three vicious, cold-blooded murders, and the state is asking the death penalty. Thank you.”
Mickey Brennan returned to his seat.
“Is the defense ready to present its closing argument?”
David rose. He walked to the jury box and looked into the faces of the jurors, and what he saw there was disheartening. “I know that this has been a very difficult case for all of us. You’ve heard experts testify that they’ve treated multiple personality disorder, and you’ve heard other experts testify that there is no such thing. You’re not doctors, so no one expects you to make your judgment based on medical knowledge. I want to apologize to all of you if my behavior yesterday seemed boorish. I yelled at Ashley Patterson only because I wanted to force her alters to come out. I’ve talked to those alters. I know they exist. There really is an Alette and a Toni, and they can control Ashley anytime they want to. She has no knowledge of committing any murders.
“I told you at the beginning of this trial that for someone to be convicted of first-degree murder, there has to be physical evidence and a motive. There is no motive here, ladies and gentlemen. None. And the law says that the prosecution must prove a defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. I’m sure you’ll agree that in this case, there is a reasonable doubt.
“As far as proof is concerned, the defense does not question it. There are Ashley Patterson’s fingerprints and traces of DNA at each of the crime scenes. But the very fact that they are there should give us pause. Ashley Patterson is an intelligent young woman. If she committed a murder and did not want to be caught, would she have been stupid enough to leave her fingerprints at each one of the scenes? The answer is no.”
David went on for another thirty minutes. At the end, he looked at their faces and was not reassured. He sat down.
Judge Williams turned to the jurors. “I want to instruct you now on the applicable law to this case. I want you to listen carefully.” She talked for the next twenty minutes, detailing what was admissible and allowable by law.
“If you have any questions, or want any part of the testimony read back to you, the court reporter will do so. The jury is excused to go deliberate. Court is adjourned until they return with their verdict.”
David watched the jury file out of the box and into the jury room. The longer the jurors take, the better our chances, David thought.
The jurors returned forty-five minutes later.
David and Ashley watched as the jurors filed in and took their seats in the jury box. Ashley was stone-faced. David found that he was perspiring.
Judge Williams turned to the jury foreman. “Have the jurors reached a verdict?”
“We have, Your Honor.”
“Would you please hand it to the bailiff.”
The bailiff carried the piece of paper to the judge. Judge Williams unfolded it. There was not a sound in the courtroom.
The bailiff returned the paper to the jury foreman.
“Would you read the verdict, please?”
In a slow, measured tone, he read, “In the case of The People of the State of California Versus Ashley Patterson, we, the jury, in the above entitled action, find the defendant, Ashley Patterson, guilty of the murder of Dennis Tibbie, a violation of Penal Code Section 187.”
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