Mistrial declared in Griffith case
By Kat Russell, Reporter
The Paducah Sun
February 19, 2015
http://www.paducahsun.com/news/local/mistrial-in-griffith-case/article_317106da-5ad9-11e7-b32f-10604b9f0f42.html
Kat Russell / The Paducah Sun
After six hours of deliberation, a jury of eight men and four women told McCracken Circuit Judge Tim Kaltenbach on Wednesday night it could not reach a unanimous decision in the case against Reidland's Keith Griffith, resulting in a mistrial.
Griffith is charged with killing his wife, Julie Griffith, before burning their house with her and their two dogs inside.
Standing before the judge at 8:40 p.m., the jury forewoman said she worked with fellow jurors and tried to talk it out with them but realized it was futile.
Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Raymond McGee said he could not comment on the jury's decision, though he said the state will retry the case.
"We felt pretty confident, but it is what it is," McGee said.
The next step, he said, is a preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. March 12. Kaltenbach said he would consider a motion to reduce Griffith's bond at that hearing if the defense makes that motion.
Defense attorney Mark Bryant said the jurors' indecision indicated to him he had built a strong case.
"I know that what (people) said all along is that this is a great case for the prosecution," he said. "Well, obviously it wasn't because if it had been they'd have had a conviction. So yeah, it tells me a lot about (our) case."
Griffith will remain in jail on $1 million bond while the prosecution prepares to try him again. He remains charged with murder, first-degree arson, tampering with evidence and two counts of first-degree animal cruelty.
Before the jury's deliberation, lawyers gave closing arguments Wednesday.
Bryant presented closing statements first. He faulted the prosecution's case and investigation, saying law enforcement officials targeted Griffith from the start.
"In my opinion ... I think that this was a shoddy investigation," he said. "It was a rush to judgment."
Bryant proceeded to cite what he believed to be the holes in the prosecution's case, attacking the proposed motive, the sheriff's department's investigation and Griffith's girlfriend DeeAnna Cloe.
After finding recently purchased life insurance policies in Griffith's car, investigators concluded Griffith's motive for the slaying must have been financial gain, in addition to his wanting to be with his girlfriend.
Bryant argued the family was in debt and that after the mortgage and debts were paid off, Griffith would have walked away with about $9,000.
"The truth is that Keith would have come out with very little money if this had happened as (the prosecution) wants you to believe that it did," Bryant said.
Bryant also attacked Griffith's girlfriend, likening her to a prostitute who used Griffith to get money and gifts.
"Would you want to send anyone to prison, or worse, on her word, ladies and gentlemen?" Bryant asked the jury.
Bryant also argued the sheriff's department never vetted Cloe or checked to see if her testimony was true. He further accused the department of picking and choosing evidence to fit its case against Griffith.
They have no DNA, no fingerprints, no eyewitnesses, no murder weapon, no cell phone pings and no GPS records, he said.
"Could it be that (the investigators) are wrong?" Bryant asked. "That in their rush to judgment to make a high-profile arrest, they missed it? That the real killer is out there somewhere? My client has maintained his innocence from the beginning ... Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you to free this innocent man."
Up next came McGee, who focused his closing statement on lies Griffith allegedly told during the year-long investigation.
"Mr. Bryant is a wonderful speaker," McGee began, "but I don't think that you and I sat through the same trial that he repeated the facts of because his facts were just not correct."
McGee criticized Griffith for lying about his whereabouts the night his wife died. He also accused the defense of introducing evidence and witnesses meant to fool the jury.
"Why is Keith Griffith lying?" McGee asked. "It's to promote an agenda, it's to benefit (himself) and it's to get something out of it. That's the only reason a person lies."
McGee accused the defense of presenting a case void of substance and based on the opinions of people close to the defendant and his lawyers.
"Really what we saw from the defense was a fluffy dog and pony show," he said. "They put in friends, put in a lot of pictures of Keith and Julie to create this mirage of a great marriage, but the truth is this man was anything but a good husband."
McGee then reviewed the evidence police said they had against Griffith. He cited life insurance policies found in Griffith's car on himself and Julie that took effect eight days before her death, messages and texts between him and his girlfriend, receipts for the gifts he bought her, and the .45 caliber ammunition found in Griffith's home.
But the biggest lie told in the defense's case, McGee said, is that there was a "rush to judgment."
"Law enforcement followed the evidence," he said. "Where the evidence led them turned out to be the simplest answer, which was Keith."
Then McGee presented the prosecution's proposed motive.
"Keith Griffith killed his wife for two reasons, and they are the two reasons that come up in almost every homicide we have, and (Griffith) had both of them," McGee said. "He had lust and greed."
McGee argued Griffith wanted to end his marriage with Julie Griffith and be with Cloe, but it would have been too costly.
In closing, McGee said, "The agenda here is clear with Keith Griffith. He had the motive, he had the plan, he had opportunity and he executed it."
Contact Kat Russell, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8653.
Griffith is charged with killing his wife, Julie Griffith, before burning their house with her and their two dogs inside.
Standing before the judge at 8:40 p.m., the jury forewoman said she worked with fellow jurors and tried to talk it out with them but realized it was futile.
Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Raymond McGee said he could not comment on the jury's decision, though he said the state will retry the case.
"We felt pretty confident, but it is what it is," McGee said.
The next step, he said, is a preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. March 12. Kaltenbach said he would consider a motion to reduce Griffith's bond at that hearing if the defense makes that motion.
Defense attorney Mark Bryant said the jurors' indecision indicated to him he had built a strong case.
"I know that what (people) said all along is that this is a great case for the prosecution," he said. "Well, obviously it wasn't because if it had been they'd have had a conviction. So yeah, it tells me a lot about (our) case."
Griffith will remain in jail on $1 million bond while the prosecution prepares to try him again. He remains charged with murder, first-degree arson, tampering with evidence and two counts of first-degree animal cruelty.
Before the jury's deliberation, lawyers gave closing arguments Wednesday.
Bryant presented closing statements first. He faulted the prosecution's case and investigation, saying law enforcement officials targeted Griffith from the start.
"In my opinion ... I think that this was a shoddy investigation," he said. "It was a rush to judgment."
Bryant proceeded to cite what he believed to be the holes in the prosecution's case, attacking the proposed motive, the sheriff's department's investigation and Griffith's girlfriend DeeAnna Cloe.
After finding recently purchased life insurance policies in Griffith's car, investigators concluded Griffith's motive for the slaying must have been financial gain, in addition to his wanting to be with his girlfriend.
Bryant argued the family was in debt and that after the mortgage and debts were paid off, Griffith would have walked away with about $9,000.
"The truth is that Keith would have come out with very little money if this had happened as (the prosecution) wants you to believe that it did," Bryant said.
Bryant also attacked Griffith's girlfriend, likening her to a prostitute who used Griffith to get money and gifts.
"Would you want to send anyone to prison, or worse, on her word, ladies and gentlemen?" Bryant asked the jury.
Bryant also argued the sheriff's department never vetted Cloe or checked to see if her testimony was true. He further accused the department of picking and choosing evidence to fit its case against Griffith.
They have no DNA, no fingerprints, no eyewitnesses, no murder weapon, no cell phone pings and no GPS records, he said.
"Could it be that (the investigators) are wrong?" Bryant asked. "That in their rush to judgment to make a high-profile arrest, they missed it? That the real killer is out there somewhere? My client has maintained his innocence from the beginning ... Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you to free this innocent man."
Up next came McGee, who focused his closing statement on lies Griffith allegedly told during the year-long investigation.
"Mr. Bryant is a wonderful speaker," McGee began, "but I don't think that you and I sat through the same trial that he repeated the facts of because his facts were just not correct."
McGee criticized Griffith for lying about his whereabouts the night his wife died. He also accused the defense of introducing evidence and witnesses meant to fool the jury.
"Why is Keith Griffith lying?" McGee asked. "It's to promote an agenda, it's to benefit (himself) and it's to get something out of it. That's the only reason a person lies."
McGee accused the defense of presenting a case void of substance and based on the opinions of people close to the defendant and his lawyers.
"Really what we saw from the defense was a fluffy dog and pony show," he said. "They put in friends, put in a lot of pictures of Keith and Julie to create this mirage of a great marriage, but the truth is this man was anything but a good husband."
McGee then reviewed the evidence police said they had against Griffith. He cited life insurance policies found in Griffith's car on himself and Julie that took effect eight days before her death, messages and texts between him and his girlfriend, receipts for the gifts he bought her, and the .45 caliber ammunition found in Griffith's home.
But the biggest lie told in the defense's case, McGee said, is that there was a "rush to judgment."
"Law enforcement followed the evidence," he said. "Where the evidence led them turned out to be the simplest answer, which was Keith."
Then McGee presented the prosecution's proposed motive.
"Keith Griffith killed his wife for two reasons, and they are the two reasons that come up in almost every homicide we have, and (Griffith) had both of them," McGee said. "He had lust and greed."
McGee argued Griffith wanted to end his marriage with Julie Griffith and be with Cloe, but it would have been too costly.
In closing, McGee said, "The agenda here is clear with Keith Griffith. He had the motive, he had the plan, he had opportunity and he executed it."
Contact Kat Russell, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8653.
