The fate of Mark Jensen is now in the hands of 12 of his peers. Jensen is being tried for the second time of intentional homicide for the alleged poisoning murder of his wife Julie. Judge Milisauskas instructed the jury this morning on the law and how to come to a verdict.

Paid Advertisement

Kenosha County Deputy District Attorney Carlie McNeill gave the first closing arguement today on behalf of the State of Wisconsin. McNeill emphasized the electronic evidence and the searches on the Jensen family computer. McNeill suggested that the defense’s experts sided with the defense because of how much money they were paid.

Paid Advertisement

Defense attorney Jeremy Perri gave the closing argument for the defense, pointing out the opinions of the highly-qualified medical experts. Perri said that it wasn’t the defense’s position that Julie framed Mark, but instead she had a severe mental health problem and had a distorted sense of reality.

Paid Advertisement

In Wisconsin, the prosecution gets two kicks at the cat, so to speak, during closing arguments. Jambois gave the rebuttal closing argument. Technically, he’s limited to only rebut what Perri talked about, but he strayed slightly off base. Jambois must have gotten feedback for his earlier behavior. He told the jury that if he appeared angry, it was because he was upset at the experts’ opinions. Jambois started out by mocking defense attorney Mackenzie Renner. He frequently used the wrong names of many of the lawyers in his argument. He spoke in a slow, deliberate, and sometimes creepy-sounding tone. He insulted the experts hired by the defense calling them “hired guns.”

Paid Advertisement

The judge’s clerk, Janet Mattner, selected four numbers at random. Theses four jurors were alternates and will not be included in the deliberations. With that, the jury was off to deliberate. After about an hour, the jury foreman sent a note to the judge asking to see exhibits.

Paid Advertisement

The crime scene photos of Julie deceased in her bed were shown to the jury live in the courtroom at their request. Several other exhibits were sent back with them. They were excused today at 5:00pm. They will return tomorrow at 8:30 am.

Paid Advertisement

Larry Griffin, Julie’s older brother, gave a statement to the media after the Jury began to deliberate. He showed the group of reporters many photos of Julie and sang a song (In My Life – The Beatles) in remembrance of his beloved sister. He had the following to say:

Paid Advertisement

“Following through on Julie’s words, her desperate words that she wrote at 7:00 am on November 21, 1998, ‘if anything happens to me, he would be my first suspect.’ We are dismayed and bewildered that this trial took place a second time 24 years after you gave up your life, Julie, for your three D’s. We’re uncomfortable with the status of reliving all the events surrounding your death in full view of the public. However, we are in total support of attorneys Bob Jambois, Carliy McNeill, Bob Jambois and their team, to keep your murderer behind bars. We are saddened and angered that the only defense being used by Mark is written statements from prison in his attempt to make you and our family look irrational and suicidal. Yet we have testified as needed by the court to defend your honor and that of our family. Julie, we dearly love and appreciate and thank your friends and neighbors who shared pleasant times with you, who can testify to your vibrance and caring nature. Our utmost gratitude goes out to those kind people who helped you in your times of distress, including the Pleasant Prairie Police and the first responders. We, your brothers, our families, and your many relatives and friends across the country all grieve that people who did not know you will never experience what a kind, gentle-nature person you were, that you loved your two sons more than anything else on this earth and that you never, never would have left. Finally, we know you did not want to burden us brothers with your marital problems, and you did not reach out to us. We see your tragic death, Julie, as a result of Mark’s increased aggression toward you, to cause fear, to exploit your vulnerabilities, to manipulate your actions so as to occupy a position of power and control over you. That is the definition of domestic abuse.”

“There are places I’ll remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain

All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends, I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life, I’ve loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new

Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life, I love you more

There are places I’ll remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain

All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends, I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life, I’ve loved you”