Jury Chosen for Mark Norwood's Murder Trial
SAN ANGELO — Twelve jurors were chosen Monday in the Tom Green County Courthouse to decide whether Mark Alan Norwood is guilty of capital murder in the 1986 bludgeoning death of Christine Morton in North Austin.
Norwood, a former Bastrop dishwasher, faces life in prison after DNA testing linked him to Christine Morton's murder, a crime for which her husband Michael Morton was wrongfully convicted in 1987 and spent nearly 25 years in prison. Michael Morton was released in 2011 after DNA testing showed that Norwood's biological material was mixed with Christine Morton's blood on a blue bandana ...
Comments (2)
David McLemore via Texas Tribune on Facebook
It would be nice if they convicted the right person this time.
dana virago
Both murders were focused and brutal--repeated blows directly to the head. That takes rage and control. Norwood's criminal record does not show that kind of brutality. The jury here is going to be on guard against repeating the same mistake committed against Michael Morton. So, the prosecution here is going to have to show that Norwood did indeed harbor such a penchant for brutality. It would also help their theory , that Norwood committed this murder, to show that he was a very controlled man, and that it was his choice to not live by social norms-- that by engaging this pattern of criminal activity, he was deliberately positing himself against "smart" people and "big" teams and coming out "on top" since he served relatively little time for the criminal life that he actually lead (regardless of the murders). The focused and explosive nature of the murder could fit into the personality of a very controlled, yet antisocial man. People live lies that their family believes all the the time, especially mothers.
Last, it is doubtful that the defense is really going to argue or suggest to the jury that Norwood was a part of a burglary team but not the one that committed the murder---a death occuring during the commission of another felony is a felony in and of itself, whether or not Norwood ever even actually saw an alleged co-burglar deliver a single blow to a victim. He would still be guilty. And, its highly unlikely that Norwood would leave behind DNA at both murder scenes without the alleged "real" killer also leaving such DNA at scenes.
Thanks for the reporting, BG!