posted on September 30, 2002 09:53:00 PM new
have any of you followed this story? I heard about this on 20/20 or one of those shows and it's pretty interesting. Here's what CNN says...
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (CNN) --
Opening statements were made
Monday in the trial of former hippie
guru Ira Einhorn, who is accused of
allegedly bludgeoning his girlfriend
to death more than 20 years ago.
Einhorn, 62, is accused of killing Helen
"Holly" Maddux in 1977 in their West
Philadelphia apartment. He was arrested in
1979 for the beating death of the
30-year-old Maddux, whose mummified
remains were found stuffed in a steamer
trunk inside a closet.
Einhorn fled the country in 1981 just before
he was scheduled to go to trial in
Philadelphia. He claimed at the time the CIA
was framing him for Maddux's murder.
For years, Einhorn moved around Europe,
finally settling in southern France, where he
was arrested in 1997. He was returned to the United States in July 2001, but only
after prosecutors agreed to a French request not to seek the death penalty and the
Legislature passed a law allowing his 1993 murder conviction in absentia to be
vacated.
Court of Common Pleas Judge William Mazzola will preside over the trial, which is
expected to last three weeks.
Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney Joel Rosen said prosecutors have worked
for many years for the trial to take place.
"We have worked very hard. I am very, very
glad to get started," Rosen said last week.
"We've waited a long time to start the
case."
Rosen said the evidence in the case is
strong. "The case is in good shape," he
said. "We have a smoking gun already.
We have the victim's body found in a
chest, in his closet, so, yes, we have a
smoking gun. We've had a smoking gun
for 20 years."
Court-appointed defense attorney William
Cannon, meanwhile, said his client is
optimistic.
"I'd have to say that Mr. Einhorn is upbeat and positive," Cannon said.
Cannon acknowledged, however, that he is concerned about how Einhorn's past
may look to jurors.
"I'm concerned about convincing people that a person can be a fugitive for 20 years
and yet not be guilty of the crime."
Actress Ellen Burstyn, singer Peter Gabriel and former Philadelphia city planner
Edmund Bacon -- father of actor Kevin Bacon -- have been invited to testify as
character witnesses by the defense. Cannon said they will not be subpoenaed.
Einhorn said he visited Gabriel many times in the 1970s at Gabriel's home in Bath,
England. Among 60 journals seized from Einhorn's apartment in 1979 were notes
from Burstyn to Einhorn, Cannon said.
"Mr. Einhorn had a national, urban and
international cast of friends and
acquaintances and yes, many of those
people are being invited to participate in the
trial now as character witnesses," his
attorney said.
Einhorn's wife, Annika Flodin Einhorn, will
not be in the courtroom, The Associated
Press reported. The Swede said she
planned to attend, but was told she could
be charged with aiding a fugitive.
It is unknown if Einhorn himself will testify in
the trial.
posted on October 1, 2002 03:11:56 AM new
Mornin' Kraftdinner - I've seen this yo yo on America's Most Wanted. Several times they've had segments where he was spotted here and there, but when the police would close in...he'd be gone.
I can understand, although I don't agree with, France not wanting to return him if he faced the death penalty. But passing legislation to put aside his murder conviction is crazy, IMO. HE was the one who chose to run and not be at his trial to act in his own defense.
We have the victim's body found in a chest, in his closet...
Can't wait to hear his explanation for that one. What's he claiming....the CIA put her body there without his knowledge?
posted on October 1, 2002 10:12:26 AM new
Hi Linda! Yes, his lawyer says that part is circumstancial... ahahahah! I guess the police were tipped off when the downstairs neighbour complained of brown fluid leaking from the ceiling along with a foul smell, yet he remained living there.
He believes he was framed because he found out the government was working on some kind of mind-control device and they were afraid he would spill the beans on them. I guess that's his defense. He's going to speak at his trial, so that should be intersting. He's had 20+ years to think up a good story... I wnder how far-fetched it'll be.
posted on October 1, 2002 10:40:41 AM new
Personal papers were found in which Einhorn allegedly described the beating of another woman in a poem. The poem's closing lines were,"In such violence there may be freedom."
posted on October 1, 2002 01:16:57 PM new
This has similarities to the OJ case... she had found someone new and went to explain things to Ira in person, but instead of him being enraged and smashing her skull in repeatedly, someone else did it. Why then, if the government had/has this mind-control thing, didn't they use that on him instead of killing his girlfriend?
I think each day brings us closer to a science fiction type setting. Anyway, I'm off to take my Paxil...
posted on October 1, 2002 06:21:03 PM new
You got Paxil???? Lucky person. My mommy says I'm only allowed to take Prozac. I keep tellin' her that all my friends are taking Paxil, so why can't I? Well, off she goes on some jumping off the Empire State Building analogy.....
.
A Man will spend $2.00 for a $1.00 item he needs.
A Woman will spend $1.00 for a $2.00 item she doesn't need.
