{"id":17334,"date":"2020-07-23T14:01:06","date_gmt":"2020-07-23T14:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lelandhale.com\/wordpress\/?p=17334"},"modified":"2020-08-03T18:18:00","modified_gmt":"2020-08-03T18:18:00","slug":"psychic-midpoint-state-rests-its-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lelandhale.com\/wordpress\/psychic-midpoint-state-rests-its-case\/","title":{"rendered":"Psychic Midpoint: State Rests Its Case"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

May it please the Court, the State rests<\/em>. With this traditional invocation, the State of Alaska tossed its cards on the table and turned the case over to John Peel’s defense team. With the Peel trial at its psychic midpoint, one trend was obvious: the longer the trial went, the less crowded the courtroom. Still, it had its share of regulars. None were more steadfast than the women known as the “Three Ladies” — Marcia Hilley, Fran Bezdicek and Carroll Mackie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ketchikan Hillside, 1986<\/strong> (courtesy William Bacon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Of the three, Hilley and Mackie had known each other the longest; they had been best friends since attending Ketchikan High School 25 years previous. When Mackie’s children reached high school age, they formed a tongue-in-cheek club called I.S.P.Y. to keep an eye on them. Now that their children were older, I.S.P.Y. turned to other pursuits, like attending the Peel trial full-time. Mackie and Hilley had already started to reach some conclusions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Halftime Score<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

For starters, neither Hilley nor Mackie believed Phillip Weidner’s assertions that John Peel was innocent. Part of that was due to their feelings about Phil Weidner, whom they characterized as a sleazebag who postured before the jury. They also noted with suspicion the relationship between the defense attorney and his client. Hilley thought that Weidner exercised near complete control of John Peel. Even on breaks, Peel said little. [1]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Front Street, Ketchikan, 1986<\/strong> (courtesy William Bacon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Their belief also depended, in part, on the State evidence that they’d heard — and the jury hadn’t<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n