In Atlanta we have an interesting case being tried right now.
"Real life is stranger than fiction,..." Sam Clements I think.
Tex McIver, an attorney, killed his wife with a revolver in their car. Undisputed.
Tex said it was an accident. The DA says homicide, mostly based on Tex's muddling up after the fact. Incriminating voice mails. Lack of grief. etc.
Situation. Tex and his wife are driving back to Atlanta in their car after an out-of-town trip. Their friend, Mrs. Dani Jo Carter is driving the car. Mrs McIver is in the front passenger seat and Tex is in the back seat behind her. That much is agreed upon.
Tex claims:
Dani Jo made a wrong turn while driving through downtown Atlanta and they end up in a less than hospitable section of town. Tex takes out his revolver to have it handy just in case. The gun goes off accidentally hitting Mrs McIver in the back. Since they were "downtown" they drove directly Emory hospital.
The DA claims:
All that is true except the accident part. The DA claims that Tex used the situation to purposely kill his wife.
What hasn't been claimed:
Any affair between Tex and Dani Jo or anyone else.
Any affair between Mrs. McIver and Dani Jo or anyone else.
Any involvement by Dani Jo
Any real concrete motive.
Questions:
The seating arrangement is not typical, but Tex was taking a nap in the back seat. Generalization: Lower class couples sit together in a car. Middle class set husband-husband, wife-wife. Upper crust sit husband with other wife. But this was a threesome. Usually the male drives. Or the male owner, if not driving usually sits shotgun. This was an Expedition. Front seat might have been more comfortable to sleep in. But Dani Jo probably wanted the company up front. Was this normal when they drove back from the ranch in Putnam county? How often had they done this?
Wasn't Dani Jo familiar with downtown Atlanta? Why detour through a bad part of town? Why drive to Emory which isn't exactly a straight route. Nobody will give you directions to Emory. It's too complicated and convoluted a route. Why not go to Grady hospital? Right on the interstate. One of the top trauma centers in the world. Another generalization: Upper society goes to Piedmont Hospital or Emory, but not to Grady. Maybe that influenced the decision, subconsciously.
He kept the gun in the center console, in a bag, which may indicate he wasn't well versed in gun handling and safety. It was a hammerless or shrouded hammer revolver. I'm not sure the exact model. But if it were a shrouded hammer could he have been trying to cock it? Stupider things have been done under stress. And he could have been in a stupor from just waking up that could have added to it. Dani Jo has just testified the car was stopped when the gun went off. At one time Tex claimed it was because the car hit a bump.
No real motive has been revealed. Technically he owed his wife $350,000 but this is a common property state so it's a wash. Only in a divorce would that have been relevant and no particular marital unhappiness has been uncovered. No affair, with Dani Jo by either McIver has been alleged. She appears to be exactly what they claim, a good family friend. No real solid motive.
MY TAKE: It was pure negligence. He wasn't fully awake. Maybe did something stupid, like trying to cock the revolver and a startled reflex caused him to pull the trigger. All those things that happened afterwards is because he's not the brightest light bulb in the dance hall. He did stupid, incriminating things when he should have just said, "it was an accident" and done nothing else. Nothing else.
Of course, he could be a criminal master mind. Planned all of this including looking like a klutz afterwards. If you never go to trial and something comes up later then you could be prosecuted, but if you go to trial and are found innocent, then you're free forever because of double jeopardy.
MBTV
Forum Index
Help
Calendar
Contact Info
Register as a member
