Detective Jess Bethel, Part 5

In the video, Letecia says she didn’t try to escape but she slipped her handcuffs, assaulted a deputy, and opened the door of the van with her foot.
During a “mechanical advantage control hold” from the van to a patrol car she dropped all her weight which caused Bethel to need surgery on her shoulder.
There were so many searches of the Stauch home because they initially did not have a scene with a body and evidence.
During the course of the investigation, Letecia gave several different stories. As investigation proceeded they had to go back in and look for new developments.
They did not find in the home the weapon that caused Gannon’s sharp force injuries.
They did not find any of the shell casings.
None of her clothing had Gannon’s blood on them.
She never spoke in a Spanish accent or had any different personalities.
Bethel believes she is sane, manipulative, and very calculated.

Cross examination

Bethel’s first contact with Letecia was during the Starbucks interview.
She was apprehensive in a phone call leading up to the interview. When Bethel called her, she said “I’ve already spoken with eight other people” and did not want her to come to the home.
She lied about several young children being in the home.
At the sheriff’s station, across the street from the courthouse, Letecia is cooperative and personable in some of the video. Bethel says “she was willing to have a conversation” but it is “not completely correct” that she was not apprehensive.
Letecia did not try to physically assault her or any of the other deputies at the station.
Al never mentioned to Bethel that Gannon was put into counseling because of issues between Letecia and Gannon.
She was in the van for over 24 hours total from South Carolina to Kansas.
They were switching off drivers; no hotel stops.
It was a rental passenger van.
Her demeanor for the other 23 and a half hours was calm.
Bethel was not able to sleep during the drive.
There was a change in her behavior when she assaulted Deputy James but not a change of personality.
The defense shows Bethel the DSM-5. It is “a mental disorder book” she has not read it.
The defense calls it the Bible for diagnosing psychiatric disorders and asks if she knows that Borderline Personality Disorder is listed in the book. There is an objection because she said she has not read it
The defense asks Bethel’s definition of sanity, which is not based on the definition of sanity based in the DSM-5. There is an objection because there is no definition of “sanity” in that book. Judge Werner says the state can cross.

Redirect

Bethel was in law enforcement for 14 years. During that time she was a civilian working with incarcerated inmates, a deputy, received post training, and then worked on patrol, and ultimately became a detective.
In her experience at the jail she would have had contact with people suffering from mental health disorders, fairly often.
She has experience with lots of people in the public. Some of them had mental health disorders.
She has encountered people with severe mental health disorders.
She has encountered people she believed were a threat to themselves or others.
Letecia never got close to this point.

Jurors have questions but Judge Werner says other witnesses will answer those questions.