Jury reaches verdict in Kimberly Kessler murder trial

2 years ago 260

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – A assemblage has recovered Kimberly Kessler blameworthy of first-degree execution successful the decease of Joleen Cummings.

Kessler was besides recovered blameworthy of expansive theft auto.

WATCH LIVE: Jury reaches verdict successful Kimberly Kessler execution trial

This is simply a breaking quality story. The erstwhile communicative is below:

The assemblage has reached a verdict successful the execution proceedings of Kimberly Kessler, who’s accused of sidesplitting her Nassau County salon co-worker Joleen Cummings.

Closing arguments from some the authorities and the defence wrapped up soon earlier 10:45 a.m. Thursday. As of astir 11:20 a.m., the assemblage had near the courtroom to prime a foreman and statesman the deliberation process.

Prosecutors accidental Kessler killed Cummings, a 34-year-old parent of three, portion the 2 were moving unneurotic successful Tangles Hair Salon successful May 2018. Cummings’ assemblage has not been found.

Kessler is charged with first-degree execution and expansive theft auto, but the assemblage volition see lesser charges, which see second-degree murder, manslaughter, aggravated battery, different artillery charges and culpable negligence.

Kimberly Kessler Trial- The assemblage has near the courtroom. They volition prime a foreman and statesman the deliberation process. @wjxt4

— Corley Peel (@WJXT_CorleyPeel) December 9, 2021

During closing arguments, the authorities walked the assemblage done the timeline of Kessler’s actions.

The authorities started by reminding the jurors that Cummings has not been seen oregon heard from successful 3 years and has not utilized her slope relationship successful that timeframe. The authorities said she was looking guardant to her day and was making plans to marque a Mother’s Day contiguous with her kids to springiness to her ain mother.

The authorities past reviewed each of the grounds — including the humor recovered passim Tangles; the video footage of Kessler buying for supplies and driving and parking Cummings’ car; and her net searches, which included “Joleen Cummings nary assemblage nary crime.” They besides discussed the information that the women did not get along, and they pointed to a tense enactment betwixt the 2 women the time earlier Cummings disappeared.

During the defence closing arguments, they again pointed to however the net searches are retired of discourse and however the purchasing of zip-ties are not consequential to the case. The defence lawyer besides pointed to bruising connected Kessler’s legs, up her limb and shoulders. The defence said each of this shows that determination was a convulsive conflict.

“What has the authorities not offered you? Who started it? Who was the aggressor successful this fight? Who was defending themselves? How did it end? There are nary answers to those questions. You don’t person to capable successful the blanks,” the defence said.

Cummings’ household was wrong the courtroom and was visibly shaken by the details.

The Defense says determination was a convulsive struggle betwixt Kessler and Cummings and Kessler had antiaircraft wounds. The authorities says present wounds are not defensive, they're disposal wounds. Closing arguments person ended. @wjxt4

— Corley Peel (@WJXT_CorleyPeel) December 9, 2021

State, defence remainder cases

The state and defence some rested their cases connected Wednesday.

The defence rested aft lone calling 1 witness: Lead Detective Wayne Harrington, who had antecedently testified for the state. The defence showed Harrington a baggie recovered successful the Tangles Hair Salon days aft Cummings disappeared. He described the baggie arsenic having a chalky-like substance but doesn’t judge it was tested for evidence. It’s unclear wherever the baggie was recovered successful the salon. Last month, the defence filed a motion saying Cummings and Kessler got into an statement implicit drugs successful the workplace.

The authorities rested aft putting respective witnesses connected the basal for 2 days.

Prosecutors focused Wednesday connected Kessler’s net searches. Nassau County Sheriff’s Office Detective Charity Rose testified astir thousands of searches successful Kessler’s telephone successful the days starring up to Cummings’ disappearance May 12, 2018. According to Rose, searches included the pursuing terms: “autopsy,” “cadavers,” “murderpedia,” “victimpedia,” “female murderers by country” and “Florida pistillate murderers.” On May 16, according to Rose, Kessler searched “Joleen Cummings nary assemblage nary crime,” arsenic good arsenic different things regarding Cummings’ disappearance.

The defence argued that determination was nary mode to cognize the afloat discourse down the searches oregon who was physically doing them.

Michelle Money testified that Kessler asked her whether the Storage connected Sadler installation had unrecorded video surveillance and asked if it was recorded. Another witness, an worker astatine West Marine successful Fernandina Beach, said Kessler bought heavy-duty zip ties determination connected May 5, 2018, and paid for them successful cash.

Kessler was brought into the courtroom 3 times Wednesday. The justice wanted to springiness her a accidental to participate. All 3 times she had outbursts, mostly shouting, “Jordan Beard is Joleen Cummings’ cousin,” thing she has said repeatedly done the people of the trial. Jordan Beard is Kessler’s erstwhile lawyer who is not Cummings’ cousin. The assemblage was not successful the courtroom during these moments, and Kessler was removed and placed into a abstracted country wherever she could ticker the proceedings. Kessler had akin outbursts successful tribunal Monday and Tuesday.

Testimony focuses connected grounds recovered wrong Tangles

Much of Tuesday’s testimony from detectives focused connected grounds recovered wrong Tangles Hair Salon, wherever the women worked together. Investigators judge that grounds shows Kessler attacked and killed Cummings successful the salon.

Prosecutors besides focused connected Kessler’s boots, which were recovered wrong her retention unit. She was seen wearing them the time Cummings was past seen alive, and dried humor drops were recovered connected the boots.

The defence has suggested that it’s imaginable Kessler and Cummings got into a combat and injuries Kessler suffered were caused by her protecting herself.

The assemblage was besides shown pictures of the wrong of some women’s cars. During cross-examination, the defence argued that determination should person been humor everywhere, adjacent wrong those cars, but nary was found.

Harrington was connected the witnesser basal Tuesday and explained however investigators went to a landfill to hunt the garbage Kessler dumped successful a dumpster. Harrington testified it was July 7, 2018, the vigor scale reached 117 degrees, and the hunt teams wore crystal vests.

The landfill hunt continued for days. Cummings’ assemblage was not found, but the authorities suggested determination was capable DNA grounds to beryllium Kessler killed Cummings. The defence said without a assemblage there’s nary impervious of a murder.

Witnesses instrumentality basal aft opening statements

Prosecutors began the proceedings Monday with a timeline, highlighting Kessler’s purchases and net searches, arsenic good arsenic surveillance video successful the days surrounding Cummings’ disappearance.

Opening statements were followed by respective witnesses, including Anne Johnson, Cummings’ mother. Johnson testified that it wasn’t her daughter’s property to conscionable disappear. “She didn’t adjacent admit her birthday,” Johnson said.

Cummings was archetypal reported missing aft she ne'er showed up to prime up her children connected Mother’s Day 2018.

Multiple witnesses testified that they went to Tangles Hair Salon connected May 12, 2018, and saw hairdressers Cummings and Kessler. It’s the past time Cummings was seen. Cummings’ ex-husband, Jason Cummings, testified that Joleen Cummings ne'er picked up their 2 young sons from him the adjacent day, which was Mother’s Day. “I was waiting for her to propulsion up. I waited astir an hour. I tried to interaction Joleen,” helium said.

Over the years, the authorities has released a slew of evidence, including photos of humor recovered successful the salon and surveillance footage of Kessler successful Joleen Cummings’ SUV, without her.

Kessler was besides seen connected surveillance video carrying trash bags from Tangles Hair Salon to a dumpster down the building.

And a receipt shows Kessler bought cleaning gloves, ammonia, trash bags and an electrical weapon astir the aforesaid clip Joleen Cummings disappeared.

State prosecutors opened by saying Cummings was killed by Kessler, and though a assemblage was ne'er found, determination was a ample magnitude of Joleen Cummings’ DNA near down astatine the salon. Investigators recovered a bluish bin that contained a partial fingernail of Joleen Cummings. Prosecutors besides told the assemblage successful opening statements that Kessler hunt the net connected April 30, 2018, for “co idiosyncratic blameworthy of sidesplitting co worker.”

The defence said this lawsuit is astir grounds and a deficiency of evidence. The defence besides acknowledged that Kessler and Joleen Cummings worked unneurotic and had an ongoing conflict.

Read Entire Article