Days 5 & 6 - Shawna Forde Murder Trial

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Feb 01Day 5 – Shawna Forde Murder Trial – DNA conclusively ties Forde gang to Arivaca murders
Week 2, Day 5 of Minuteman Shawna Forde’s murder trial is in the books and testimony from Scott Walton of Sorenson Forensics conclusively links Shawna Forde, as well as her two cohorts to the murders of Raul Flores and 9 year old Brisenia Flores.
THE DNA EVIDENCE
•Shawna Forde’s DNA matched DNA found on a silver ring stolen from Flores’ wife that was recovered from the Honda Element that Forde was driving at the time of her arrest
•Jason “Gunny” Bush’s DNA was found on camo clothing and hiking boots seized from Albert Gaxiola’s house, blood found in the teal van seen cruising the Flores residence the day before the murders, on a shotgun taken from Gaxiola’s house and from blood found outside the Flores home.
We’ve already had verbal testimony from Chuck Stonex and Oin Oakstar tying the trio to the crime, but nothing like real scientific evidence to drive the point home.
COLORADO MINUTEMEN/FBI INFORMANT TESTIFIES
Ron Wedow, a member of the Colorado Minutemen, another border vigilante group and an FBI informer also took the stand to recount his encounter with Forde. According to David Ricker who is covering the trial as a stringer for the local papers,
Wedow testified that Forde was looking for a specialized team. “She wanted to know if I had a team that could go down there and take this house down,” he said. “The family was a front.”
FBI INVOLVEMENT
At the meeting, Wedow said Forde talked about the potential money they might find at this home in Arivaca. “She talked about millions of dollars being kept there,” he testified. “She said that at any given time there were $2-3 million in the house. After the house was secured her team would take the drugs, money and guns and they would meet at a later time.”
When Wedow questioned Forde regarding his source of information Forde assured him her information was solid. “She told me she had it under surveillance,” he said. “She started talking about drugs money and home invasions. I let it roll from there.”
RECORDED CALLS
After learning about the May 30, 2009, home invasion at the Flores home Wedow contacted the FBI to share his information. In response, the FBI asked him to call Forde on June 2 and June 9. Those recorded phone calls were played for the jury. Wedow asked Forde if she knew anything about the Flores home invasion. “I don’t know shit about that,” Forde said on the call. “If the cops want to talk to me they can call me.”
There was also testimony about a map Forde had drawn that for some reason was destroyed once it was in FBI custody according to the testimony of FBI Agent Chris Andersen. Anderson could give no reason why the sketch was destroyed and under questioning by defense attorneys, said no other evidence had gone missing, to his knowledge.
What wasn’t discussed is why the FBI failed to respond reports by Wedow of Forde's planned activities until after the murders, and then, requested the help of their informants.
Sources also have confirmed that the testimony given by FBI informant and Colorado Minuteman Ron Wedow and reported by David Ricker matched perfectly with information given last year in a series of confidential interviews.
PROSECUTION COULD REST BY END OF WEEK
This is just our opinion and nothing more, but it would appear the prosecution is nearing the end of it’s presentation and will rest by the end of the week.
Most of the witnesses have been called and have testified.
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Day 6 – Shawna Forde Murder Trail – Final Prosecution witnesses presented before State rests case
The final day of testimony in the Shawna Forde murder trial before the State rests it case and the defense attorneys begins their rebuttal, was filled with testimony of detectives who caught the case.
Pima County Sheriff’s Department Det. Charles Garcia told jurors of his initial contact and interviews with victim Gina Gonzalez including the photo lineup of six suspects, Forde among them. Garcia stated Gonzalez seemed fixated on the photo of Forde.
Det. Christopher Hogan testified he was on stakeout duty of a motel in Tucson where Forde had been staying and recounted seeing Forde and Gaxiola together at the motel on June 10, ten days after the murders in Arivaca
Det. Paul Montano testified he was part of the take down team who arrested Forde in Hereford, Cochise County and used Forde’s cell phone to send Gaxiola a message to meet her at a McDonalds where he was arrested.
These were witnesses that provided a continuation of the events leading up to the arrest of Forde and Gaxiola. The star of the day, if you could call it that was lead investigator Juan Carlos Navarro.
Detective Navarro testified of notebooks and other papers recovered during a search of Albert Gaxiola’s home in Arivaca, One entry read, “Green light Jr.” on it. The same sheet of paper also said “Truck (Him) and Hummer (Her).” Raul drove a pick up, and Gina, a Hummer.
Also, next to one of the notebooks found in a desk drawer was a business card, Shawna Forde, Minuteman American Defense.
SHAWNA FORDE LETTERS FROM JAIL
Some of the more damning evidence Navarro presented were letter written by Shawna Forde from the Pima County Jail instructing her son Devon Eddy to identify items of jewelry that Gonzalez reported stolen and found in her possession as jewelry he had given to her or that he recognized them from years ago.
According to Kim Smith of the Arizona Daily Star, Navarro also testified authorities also found a letter addressed to a Thomas Gibler. In that letter, Forde asked Gibler to testify he had given her an ornate belt buckle with the letter “G” on it because she loved the “Guess” brand name. She asked him to tell jurors he didn’t remember which Western store he’d purchased it from.
Forde started out that letter, “So the story is this:”
Gonzalez testified last week she bought the buckle when she was a teenager and the “G” was for her name.
TEXT MESSAGES AFTER THE CRIME:
Detective Navarro also presented the jury with transcripts of text messages sent from the cell phones of all the players, including Forde’s daughter Jazmine Eddy. While it is impossible to conclusively put the phones in the hands of the players, common sense tells you who sent the messages and who had possession of their own phones. (text messages)

Navarro also said phone records revealed Forde’s phone made a call to prosecution witness Oin Oakstar on May 30, at 12:28 p.m. The call lasted 2 minutes. The prosecution will rest this morning when court opens, probably after discussing several pending motions with the Judge and then the circus will begin.
Defense Attorney Eric Larsen and Co-Counsel Jill Thorpe will attempt to plant reasonable doubt in the mind of the juries as to Forde’s guilt. Larsen has an almost impossible job ahead of him.
We predict the defense will rest sometime next week, perhaps as early as Wednesday and the case could go to the jury as soon as a week from today.