11:55pm it was announced.
GUILTY
The Bakersfield Californian Tuesday, May 15 2007 11:32 AM
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 15 2007 11:54 AM
Vincent Brothers was found guilty today of killing his wife, three children and mother-in-law in July 2003.
The Bakersfield Californian Tuesday, May 15 2007 11:32 AM
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 15 2007 11:54 AM
Vincent Brothers was found guilty today of killing his wife, three children and mother-in-law in July 2003.
Verdict reached in Brothers trial
Brothers wept quietly as the verdict was read.
The jury took four days to find Brothers guilty of killing his wife, Joanie Harper; their three children, Marques, Lyndsey and Marshall; and Joanie Harper’s mother, Earnestine.
Brothers was also found guilty of the special circumstance of committing multiple murders.
What’s next Brothers is now eligible for the death penalty.
The prosecution and defense will present evidence during the second phase of the trial, known as the penalty phase. The prosecution will argue that Brothers deserves to die and the defense that he should live.
The jurors will again deliberate and make a decision.
Unlike the guilt phase of the trial, the attorneys can present evidence about the kind of person the former vice principal is. The prosecution will likely argue that the heinous nature of the crimes means Brothers deserves to die.
The defense will likely argue that Brothers was a productive member of society, is well educated and is a good person.
The prosecutor’s case Brothers’ family was found dead on July 8, 2003. Detectives investigated the case for many months and arrested Brothers in April 2004, and he was charged with the murders.
Deputy District Attorney Lisa Green believes Brothers flew to Ohio to see the brother he has rarely seen or spoken to in the last decade on July 2, 2003, as a cover for the murders.
The prosecutor believes Brothers rented a car in Ohio and drove that car back to Bakersfield and killed his family on Sunday, July 6, 2003 in their home at Third and P streets.
Each of the family members was shot to death and Joanie Harper was stabbed seven times.
An FBI agent testified that only someone close to the family would have committed the murders because no one else would have motive to kill a baby who could not be a witness.
The prosecutor believes Brothers ambushed the family while most of them were napping after church and lunch, sneaking into the house through the garage.
Green argued Brothers killed his family to relieve himself of the financial burden of caring for them.
The prosecutor presented evidence that Brothers cheated on his wife and was a cold and unloving husband and father.
Many women testified that they had a sexual relationship with Brothers while he was married.
Family testimony Family friends testified that Brothers did not attend the birth of two of his children and was not involved in their lives until the months before their deaths.
Some of Earnestine Harper’s children who live out of town traveled to Bakersfield to watch part of the testimony.
Joanie Harper’s friend Michelle Baptiste watched much of the trial after she testified.
Brothers testified in his own defense during the trial. He said he was traveling around the Midwest when his family was killed.
He said he loved his wife and children and had no reason to kill them.
His family testified that he was devastated when he learned his family died, vomiting, crying and almost collapsing.
Brothers wept quietly as the verdict was read.
The jury took four days to find Brothers guilty of killing his wife, Joanie Harper; their three children, Marques, Lyndsey and Marshall; and Joanie Harper’s mother, Earnestine.
Brothers was also found guilty of the special circumstance of committing multiple murders.
What’s next Brothers is now eligible for the death penalty.
The prosecution and defense will present evidence during the second phase of the trial, known as the penalty phase. The prosecution will argue that Brothers deserves to die and the defense that he should live.
The jurors will again deliberate and make a decision.
Unlike the guilt phase of the trial, the attorneys can present evidence about the kind of person the former vice principal is. The prosecution will likely argue that the heinous nature of the crimes means Brothers deserves to die.
The defense will likely argue that Brothers was a productive member of society, is well educated and is a good person.
The prosecutor’s case Brothers’ family was found dead on July 8, 2003. Detectives investigated the case for many months and arrested Brothers in April 2004, and he was charged with the murders.
Deputy District Attorney Lisa Green believes Brothers flew to Ohio to see the brother he has rarely seen or spoken to in the last decade on July 2, 2003, as a cover for the murders.
The prosecutor believes Brothers rented a car in Ohio and drove that car back to Bakersfield and killed his family on Sunday, July 6, 2003 in their home at Third and P streets.
Each of the family members was shot to death and Joanie Harper was stabbed seven times.
An FBI agent testified that only someone close to the family would have committed the murders because no one else would have motive to kill a baby who could not be a witness.
The prosecutor believes Brothers ambushed the family while most of them were napping after church and lunch, sneaking into the house through the garage.
Green argued Brothers killed his family to relieve himself of the financial burden of caring for them.
The prosecutor presented evidence that Brothers cheated on his wife and was a cold and unloving husband and father.
Many women testified that they had a sexual relationship with Brothers while he was married.
Family testimony Family friends testified that Brothers did not attend the birth of two of his children and was not involved in their lives until the months before their deaths.
Some of Earnestine Harper’s children who live out of town traveled to Bakersfield to watch part of the testimony.
Joanie Harper’s friend Michelle Baptiste watched much of the trial after she testified.
Brothers testified in his own defense during the trial. He said he was traveling around the Midwest when his family was killed.
He said he loved his wife and children and had no reason to kill them.
His family testified that he was devastated when he learned his family died, vomiting, crying and almost collapsing.
Defense arguments
Brothers’ attorney Michael Gardina has argued that the police never investigated
any other suspects and focused on Brothers even when evidence showed he wasn’t
in California at the time of the killings.The defense has argued that no trace or DNA evidence linked Brothers to the crime.
The gun that killed the family was never found.
Gardina has also argued that the house was in a bad neighborhood and has said other witnesses saw suspicious people around the Harper house around the time of the killings.
But Kern County Superior Court Judge Michael Bush ruled the defense did not have enough evidence to present this theory to the jury.
The defense also argued that Brothers did not have the time to drive across country and kill his family.
Brothers’ background
Let's make it easy. Judge; send him to the fucking gas chamber. Let's do away with this piece of trash and save our tax dollars for something else.
Brothers was a vice principal at Fremont School and his wife worked security at
another school.
He came from a poor family, but rose to become a
respected member of the community and a role model for the students at his
school.
His mother attended the trial after she finished testifying, and two
of his sisters
also watched parts of the trial.
Brothers has one living
child, Margaret Marie Kern-Brothers. She also sat in the audience for some of
the testimony.
Let's make it easy. Judge; send him to the fucking gas chamber. Let's do away with this piece of trash and save our tax dollars for something else.
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