Watch S1, EP27: The Alleged Fixer with Fubo for $0 Today
What began as inquiries in Facebook messages led to incriminating texts. The state alleged that Jade Janks reached out to a so-called fixer to help kill her stepdad, Tom Merriman, and make it look like he died of an overdose. Finally, the state of California rested its case against her after stipulating to the jury that both the prosecution and defense teams tried to locate Jade Janks's fixer in this murder plot.
What began as inquiries in Facebook messages led to incriminating texts. The state alleged that Jade Janks reached out to a so-called fixer to help kill her stepdad, Tom Merriman, and make it look like he died of an overdose. Finally, the state of California rested its case against her after stipulating to the jury that both the prosecution and defense teams tried to locate Jade Janks's fixer in this murder plot.
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Taboo Photos Murder Trial
S1, EP34 "Dead In Her Car"Jade Janks had more to say on the stand. During a long direct examination, she told jurors her side of the story of events that led to Tom Merriman's overdose. Was he asleep or was he dead? That's what the defendant recalled when she came across the body of Tom Merriman lying there in her car. Janks tried to convince the jury with her side of the story on what led to her stepdad's death.
Taboo Photos Murder Trial
S1, EP35 "Jade Janks Under Cross-Examination"Jade Janks faced cross-examination on the witness stand. She admitted that she didn't tell any close friends or relatives about finding those nude photos on her stepdad, Tom Merriman's computer. Instead, she reached out to a complete stranger she met on Facebook about the whole ordeal. Janks recalled her emotional and mental state in the eight days of the discovery of the nude photos and the victim's death.
Taboo Photos Murder Trial
S1, EP36 "Walk Us Through On What Happened"The lead prosecutor was not done probing Jade Janks on the stand. She was testifying for her own defense. She admitted to the jury that she did cover up her stepfather's remains after he died. After going over the timeline of events leading up to Tom Merriman's death, the state had Janks go through and explain her text messages. Jurors listened to the defendant while weighing her credibility.
Taboo Photos Murder Trial
S1, EP37 "Closing Arguments"Closing arguments began after the Defense rested their case. Jade Janks, the defendant, was the last witness on the stand. The lead prosecutor narrated a murder story to jurors by pointing out, "She needs to get help to bring him inside to make it look like an overdose." Janks' lesser charges included second degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, and involuntary manslaughter.
Taboo Photos Murder Trial
S1, EP33 "In The Eight Days To Murder"Jade Janks was emotional as she told the jury that she saw more than 100 nude photos of herself on her stepdad's computer. She claimed that Tom Merriman even cropped some of the pictures of her and divided them up into different folders based on her different body parts. Eight days after she discovered the nude photos on her stepdad's computer, Merriman died. During her long testimony to jurors, Janks' defense team wanted her to narrate the days and hours leading up to Tom Merriman's death.
Taboo Photos Murder Trial
S1, EP32 "Discovering The Naked Photos"Jurors were told of the very moment Jade Janks came across naked pictures of herself on her stepdad Tom Merriman's computer. According to the defendant, she feared Merriman's reaction after she came across nude photos of herself on his computer. So, instead of confronting him, Jade Janks sought the services of a security guard, the same guy prosecutors claimed she tried to recruit in her murder plot.
Taboo Photos Murder Trial
S1, EP31 "Timeline Of Events Cleared Up""Blame the victim" was the theme of Jade Janks's defense as she testified on the stand to jurors. According to her, Tom Merriman, her stepfather, was an alcoholic, drug abuser whose out of control addiction led to his death. For a second day jurors heard from the defendant on the witness stand. She testified on the events that led up to Merriman's death which she contended was filled with routine alcohol and drug abuse.
Taboo Photos Murder Trial
S1, EP30 "Drugs, Nude Photos, And Murder"Jurors learned more about Jade Janks's relationship with Tom Merriman in the years leading up to his death. Janks told jurors that he had no issues with her stepdad and the two had a close relationship. She would often call him Dad. Both defendant and victim in this case were on a number of different prescription medications. This would be an important aspect to Merriman's demise since he died of an apparent overdose of a sleeping drug.
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