Nathaniel’s university soccer fantasy have been shattered. He had been going to stand test for murder.
The test
On Feb. 13, 2013, a year-and-a-half after Lauren Astley’s murder, her ex-boyfriend Nathaniel Fujita’s test started.
«there is two each person,» buddy Genevieve Flynn stated. «there is, like, the Nate that has been in twelfth grade with us, who was simply, like, in my own homeroom, that would joke around beside me, who had been regarding the track group beside me. There is that Nate. Then there is, like, the Nate whom we have actually only actually observed in handcuffs as well as in a court room.»
Expected exactly exactly just how he seemed in court, buddy Hannah Blahut told Smith, «He mostly kept their face down. So when he looked up, he seemed simply not like most Nate that I would ever understood.»
Prosecutor Lisa McGovern wastes no amount of time in spelling down why Lauren ended up being murdered.
«This defendant is accountable just as charged,» McGovern addressed the court in her own opening declaration.
«Nathaniel Fujita ended up being harmed by Lauren Astley perhaps maybe maybe not finding its way back to him in which he killed her,» McGovern told «48 Hours»
Defense attorney William Sullivan, in the opening declaration, admits Nathaniel killed Lauren.
«In many murder instances, the real question is whom? Who made it happen? That isn’t this full instance,» the told the court. «This case there’s— there is gonna be two concerns, why and exactly how. «
«so how exactly does a son . there is no actual proof him ever laying a hand with this girl that is young . how can he take action similar to this?» Sullivan remarked to Tracy Smith. «we told the jury, ‘you’re gonna notice and determine some really unsettling facts.'»
«. she passed away because of the mixture of this strangulation in addition to incised wounds . to her throat,» health Examiner Henry Nields testified.
Nields stated after Lauren ended up being strangled having a bungee cable, she then suffered amount of trivial wounds to her throat before her neck had been cut.
«Why these trivial, shallow wounds? He did that to harm her,» McGovern told «48 Hours». «Why did he provide the gaping, deep injury? He did that to destroy her.»
The prosecution questioned Genevieve Flynn and Lauren’s other buddies about June 2011 — the thirty days between senior school graduation and Lauren’s murder.
«we saw Lauren pick up her arms and push them down her part as if she ended up being saying, simply steer clear of me personally,» Hannah testified.
Hannah Blahut testified about this graduation party where Nathaniel punched a pole keeping within the ongoing party tent.
«Nate got furious that Lauren was not speaking with him,» close friend Chloe Jacques told «48 Hours». «He had been aggressive because he had been extremely drunk.»
McGovern thinks Nathaniel’s display of rage had been a prelude that is ominous killing Lauren.
«that is a violence murder that is domestic. This is perpetrated because of this relationship, that has been a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship,» McGovern told «48 Hours.»
«The prosecution is painting this as a domestic violence that is violence-dating,» Smith noted to Sullivan. «Proper,» he responded.
Nevertheless the protection disagrees.
«Nathaniel . did not stalk her. Did not drive by her home. Was not calling her. Was not texting her. And none of this ended up being present,» Sullivan told Smith.
The protection desires the jury to spotlight Nathaniel’s behavior after graduation prior to Lauren’s murder:
Bill Sullivan: throughout that right time those three months, be reasonable to say you did not start to see the defendant after all.
R.J. Bolivar: I do not think therefore.
«their buddies have been saying they did not desire to go out with him any longer because he’d been acting differently,» Chloe told «48 Hours».
Bill Sullivan: he is perhaps not spending time with you dudes anymore, right?
Connor Murphy: Right.
Friends Connor and R.J. testify Nathaniel had dropped out of their social group.
Bill Sullivan: could it be reasonable to state that folks had been commenting that Nathaniel wasn’t around?
R.J. Bolivar: some social everyone was, yeah.