True Crime Stories

  I have seen more than a few different television shows based on this case and while I cannot say for sure what I think happened, the tactics used by law enforcement, as well as family members, have bothered me. We have seen many cases that involve both criminal and civil cases. In a criminal trial the standard to reach a guilty verdict is said to be “beyond a reasonable doubt” while in a civil trial a jury only has to consider “the preponderance of evidence” and determine if it is “likely” that a defendant committed a crime. Some say in a civil try one only has to be convinced 51% to in order to reach a verdict. In most, although admittedly not all, a civil case is generally not conducted until after a criminal trial has taken place. The civil case is some times filed before the criminal trial but is often delayed until after the criminal trial is conducted. Now, part of the reason for that is that in most case criminal charges have already been filed so the defendant is...

As I watched this case being discussed on an episode of 48 Hours recently I kept asking myself why I did not know this case, although the more I saw the picture of Amy Weidner I was convinced that I had in fact seen it several times.  I should have been very familiar and followed this case over the years.... why?  I lived in the same town as she did, Indianapolis, and although I went to a different high school she was close to my age.  Then I looked at the date and realized that although I have always, even at that age, tried to stay on top of the news, I had just entered my senior year of high school and with in a few days I started dating a guy I would eventually marry... and divorce.  It is possible that I have just blocked out that entire period of my life :).   At any rate on the day of November 13, 1989, sixteen year old Amy Weidner was home from school because her two year old daughter was sick.  Her mother, Gloria, had attempted to call her severa...