Will He Testify?

Will He Testify?

Murder Trial

A newspaper article dated to October 23rd 1995 where the author discuses a murder trail under way with Adan Corliss being charged with the murder of Jennifer Little. The main bulk of the article discuses the approach of the prosecution and the defense on how they are going attack and defend Corliss receptivity

Gregg, John

HIST 298, University of Mary Washington

1995-10-23

The materials in this online collection are held by Special Collections, Simpson Library, University of Mary Washington and are available for educational use. For this purpose only, you may reproduce materials without prior permission on the condition that you provide attribution of the source.

English

Windsor, VT

(First Page)

Southern Vermont
Rutland Daily Herald Friday Morning, October 23, 1995 Windsor, Windham & Bennington P

Will He Testify?
By John Gregg
Southern Vermont Bureau

SPRINGFIELD - Park View Road is a pretty lane.

Cow pastures and two upscale homes flank the narrow road that runs south for six-tenth of a mile off the Skitchewaug Trail. From a plow turn-around at the end of the road, you can enjoy a sweeping view of the Black River Valley well past Okemo Mountain.

It would be the perfect place for a lovers’ tryst, but for the two “no parking signs” that were recently installed.

And for something else, too.

Parke View Road is where Jennifer Knight Little was murdered the evening of Feb. 4, 1994. She was stabbed six times and left to die in a snow bank.

This week probably Tuesday morning, six women and nine men will visit the lane. They are the Jury in the Adam Corliss first-degree muder trial, and so far they have heard a week’s worth of testimony from witnesses for the prosecution.

(Second Item)

Trial
Continued from Page 6

Chris Frappiner and the late Paul Kelly, contract investigators for the defender general’s office, spent dozens of hours developing a case against Durphey. And Donahue, a former Windsor Country prosecutor, is attempting to call several witnesses who say Durphey threatened them by claiming to have murdered Little.

The defence also says it can knock holes in Durphey’s alibi, that he was having a party at home with friends when the murder occurred.

Police describe Durphey a “braggart” who is not linked by any physical evidence to the scene.
In a special session held outside the jury’s presence Monday afternoon, the defense will try to convince Judge Walter Morris Jr. that testimony allegedly implivating Durphey should be admitted as evidence. Zimmerman is attempting to limit any such evidence.

What’s the Motive?

Another area of interest in the case is motive. The defense has implied that Durphey would have been motivated by revenge to kill Little, who apparently broke up his relationship with another woman.

During voir dire, Zimmerman noted to prospective jurors that the state was not required to prove a motive in the case, and she and Porter have barely explored that front thus far.

But Black says the prosecution should probably try.

“Legally, you don’t have to prove motive, but from a practical matter, if you were sitting on a jury, you would probably ask ‘why would he kill her?’ The fact that it is his knife doesn’t prove that he used it,” he said.

In another twist, Zimmerman and Porter also may rely on a notorious sex offender to seal their case against Corliss

Thomas Pellerin, currently serving a 18-to-20 year prison sentence for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl, befriended Corliss while the latter was incarcerated following his arrest.

Accordion to opening statements, Pellerin either conned Corliss into giving him a signed confession to Little’s murder or helped him devise a scheme making Durphey into a “patsy” for Little’s murder.

Michael Mello, a professor at Vermont Law School, says the defence appears in “pretty good shape” thus far and said the prosecution runs an “enormous risk” if it calls Pellerin to the witness stand.

“It seems to me that the prosecution has more to less and less to gain in calling Pellerin than the defense has to gain and lose by calling Corliss,” said Mello.

Taking the Stand

And in the end, unless the state’s case unexpectedly collapses, the most critical testimony will probably come from Corliss himself, Mello said. Although defendants are not required to take the witness stand, Donahue has all but promised the jury that his client will testify.

“If (Corliss) does take the witness stand, i think it will ultimately boil down to whether the jury believes him or not,” said Mello. “He was there, it was his knife. If he takes the witness stand, it will presumably be for the purpose of explaining to the jury what happened.”

“My guess is they wouldn’t call him unless they thought he would be a pretty credible witness,” Mello said. “Ultimately, it’s going to be up to the jury to decide based on his demeanor and his credibility and believability on the witness stand. To the extent that the prosecution can show that he lied in the past, that doesn’t help him.” [end page]

Williams, Megan