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Thread: Mark Anthony Soliz - Texas Execution - September 10, 2019

  1. #11
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    Convicted killer Soliz had been treated for mental health problems

    Defense attorneys for convicted Mark Anthony Soliz are trying to submit into evidence thousands of pages of records documenting Soliz's rough upbringing and mental health problems.

    Attorney Mike Heiskell presented more than 3,000 pages of records from John Peter Smith Hospital, Children's Protective Services, Tarrant County Mental Health-Mental Retardation and a children's home about Soliz.

    State District Judge William Bosworth is still considering whether to admit the records into evidence.

    Heiskell and defense attorney Greg Westfall have told jurors that Soliz has brain damage from fetal alcohol syndrome and has been treated in the past for mental health problems.

    Westfall, during opening statements in the punishment phase of Soliz's capital murder trial, noted one report indicated Soliz "heard voices telling him to kill people" when he was just 10 years old.

    Soliz was convicted of capital murder on Friday in the death of Nancy Weatherly, 61, of Godley, during an eight-day crime spree that stretched across two counties.

    The jury is now considering whether to give him the death penalty or life in prison withour parole. Testimony is expected to continue today before state District Judge William Bosworth.

    http://blogs.star-telegram.com/crime...#storylink=cpy
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

  2. #12
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    Probation officials had trouble getting CPS involved in Soliz case, witness tells jurors

    CLEBURNE - Convicted killer Mark Anthony Soliz's former probation officer told jurors she had trouble getting Child Protective Services involved, even though Soliz's mother was an inattentive drug abuser who had failed to cooperate with efforts to help her child.

    LeAnna Judd told jurors in Soliz's capital murder trial that his mother, Donna, told officials repeatedly she would visit her son in the psychiatric hospital but repeatedly failed to show up. Finally, officials quit telling Soliz his mother had indicated she was going to visit.

    Judd said she visited Soliz on Mother's Day weekend when he was about 14 but his own mother did not.

    "He said he had a flower for her on Mother's Day, but she didn't show up," Judd said.

    Jurors are considering whether to hand down the death penalty or life in prison without parole for Soliz, who was convicted last week of capital murder in the slaying of Nancy Weatherly, 61, of Godley, during a robbery.

    Defense attorneys Mike Heiskell and Greg Westfall are presenting their case for life in prison to the jury during the sentencing phase of the trial.

    Johnson County prosecutors Martin Strahan and Larry Chambless, assisted by Tarrant County prosecutor Christy Jack, are seeking the death penalty.

    Testimony is continuing Friday before state District Judge William Bosworth.

    http://blogs.star-telegram.com/crime...#storylink=cpy
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

  3. #13
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    Convicted killer Soliz has 'brain damage' from fetal alcohol syndrome, expert testifies

    UPDATE: 1:15 p.m.

    CLEBURNE - An expert on fetal alcohol syndrome testified Monday that convicted killer Mark Anthony Soliz has "brain damage" from fetal alcohol syndrome caused by his mother's heavy drinking while pregnant.

    Dr. Richard Adler, a Seattle psychiatrist who specializes in fetal alcohol syndrome, told jurors that Soliz had a number of physical and personality traits typical of the syndrome: head, eye and hand abnormalities, problems with the law and learning disabilities.

    "He does have organic brain damage," Adler said.

    He diagnosed Soliz as having "partial" syndrome because his head and face abnormalities are not as severe as are sometimes seen, but he said the "partial" diagnosis does not diminish the personality traits such as problems with memory, attention, judgment and impulse control.

    Adler said Soliz's mother, Donna, admitted to having as many as 32 drinks per weekend, as well as daily paint sniffing. She also injected cocaine and smoked tobacco, he said.

    "The mother was very clear .. that she was sniffing paint all day every day throughout the entirety of the pregnancy," he said. "That just amplifies the problem."

    Defense attorneys Mike Heiskell and Greg Westfall are asking jurors to consider life in prison without parole instead of the death penalty because of Soliz's disabilities.

    Heiskell said courts have ruled that mentally retarded defendants, for example, can be excluded from the death penalty but courts have not ruled on fetal alcohol syndrome.

    Soliz was convicted earlier this month of capital murder in the shooting death of Nancy Weatherly, 61, of Godley, during a robbery of her home on June 29, 2010. He also is facing capital murder in the fatal shooting of beer deliveryman Ruben Martinez earlier the same day in Fort Worth.

    Johnson County prosecutors Martin Strahan and Larry Chambless, assisted by Tarrant County prosecutor Christy Jack, are seeking the death penalty.

    MONDAY, 9 .m.

    CLEBURNE - Testimony resumed today in the capital murder trial of Mark Anthony Soliz with the defense continuing its case for life in prison without parole - instead of the death penalty - for the convicted killer.

    The first witness of the morning is psychiatrist Richard Adler, of Seattle, an expert in fetal alcohol syndrome.

    Defense attorneys Mike Heiskell and Greg Westfall have told jurors that Soliz has brain damage from fetal alcohol because of his mother's heavy drinking during pregnancy. His mother also used drugs and sniffed paint, and periodically worked as a prostitute to support her drug habit, leaving Soliz to fend for himself at an early age, according to testimony.

    The defense contends that the fetal alcohol syndrome is a "mitigating" factor in Soliz's case that should allow him to be sentenced to life in prison.

    Before testimony began Monday, however, Judge William Bosworth told the prosecution and defense that a juror had alerted him that her daughter was about to go into labor and that she expected to be with her daughter.

    Bosworth said the juror had indicated her daughter was having a "water birth" at home in north Fort Worth.

    "She is of the mindset that she wants to be with her daughter," Bosworth said.

    The judge agreed to continue testimony until the juror's daughter alerts them that she is in labor, and indicated he would decide at that point if the trial should be suspended for a day or two.

    The trial is nearing the end of the punishment phase, with the defense expected to finish its case in the next day or two.

    Soliz was convicted earlier this month of capital murder in the shooting death of Nancy Weatherly, 61, of Godley, on June 29. 2010. He also is facing capital murder charges in Tarrant County in the death of beer deliveryman Ruben Martinez earlier the same day during a robbery.

    http://blogs.star-telegram.com/crime...#storylink=cpy
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

  4. #14
    Jan
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    Juror absence throws Soliz capital murder trial into turmoil

    CLEBURNE - The absence of a juror today for the birth of her granddaughter has thrown the capital murder trial of Mark Anthony Soliz into turmoil.

    State District Judge William Bosworth indicated that he was inclined to allow one of the alternate jurors to step in to complete the punishment phase of the trial.

    Both the defense and the prosecution objected to that decision, questioning whether it could jeopardize the case on appeal.

    "Rarely do we agree on anything, but I have concerns about this," Johnson County District Attorney Dale Hanna told the judge. Hanna has sat with prosecutors Martin Strahan, Larry Chambless and Christy Jack throughout the trial but has not taken a lead role in the case until today.

    Defense attorneys Greg Westfall and Mike Heiskell raised similar concerns.

    The alternate, a man, has heard all the testimony during the trial and punishment phase but did not participate in the 10 minutes of deliberations that led to the guilty verdict against Soliz.

    Jurors are now considering whether to hand down the death penalty or life in prison without parole.

    One of the questions raised by Bosworth Tuesday is the expense incurred by taxpayers. The defense is putting on its expert witnesses - a group of psychiatrists and psychologists from Seattle. Those experts have been testifying that Soliz has fetal alcohol syndrome and may not be responsible for his actions.

    Soliz received court-appointed lawyers, and the experts are being paid by the state after prior approval by the judge.

    The judge has left the courtroom to call the juror to find out when she might be available.

    http://blogs.star-telegram.com/crime...#storylink=cpy

  5. #15
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    Convicted killer Soliz had bad behavior, learning problems as early as age 6, defense witness testifies

    Convicted killer Mark Anthony Soliz operates at the level of a child, a fetal alcohol expert testified Wednesday.

    Dr. Paul Connor, a Seattle neuropsychologist who specializes in fetal alcohol syndrome, told jurors that extensive testing found that Soliz functioned in some areas as if he were tjust wo-and-a-half years old. In other areas, he functioned like a 5 or 7 year old.

    Soliz was convicted earlier this month of capital murder in the death of Nancy Weatherly, 61, of Godley, during a robbery on June 29, 2010 in her rural home. Soliz is also facing capital murder charges in Tarrant County in the death of beer deliveryman Ruben Martinez during a robbery earlier the same day.

    Johnson County prosecutors Martin Strahan and Larry Chambless, assisted by Tarrant County prosecutor Christy Jack, are seeking the death penalty.

    Defense attorneys Mike Heiskell and Greg Westfall are presenting evidence in an attempt to convince jurors to hand Soliz life in prison without parole. Defense witnesses have testified that Soliz has "partial" fetal alcohol syndrome that can cause disabilities and behavioral problems.

    The trial is going on its fourth week before state District Judge William Bosworth.

    UPDATE: 12:30 p.m.

    A wide range of psychological testing found convicted killer Mark Anthony Soliz "mildly to moderately impaired" but not mentally retarded, a fetal alcohol expert testified Wednesday for the defense in Soliz's capital murder trial.

    Dr. Paul Connor, a Seattle neuropsychologist, said on some tests Soliz scored as if he were as young as 2 years old, and on others was above-average.

    Connor said the wide deviation in results is typical of a person with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Soliz has been diagnosed with "partial" fetal alcohol syndrome that can cause ongoing behavioral problems and learning disabilities.

    During sharp questioning from prosecutor Larry Chambless, however, Connor acknowledged that Soliz had scored average and even above-average on some of the tests.

    Connor was the second of an expected four fetal alcohol specialists to testify for the defense in the punishment phase of the trial.

    Soliz was convicted earlier this month of capital murder in the shooting death of Nancy Weatherly, 61, of Godley, during a June 29, 2010 robbery at her home. Soliz is also facing capital murder charges in Tarrant County in the death of beer deliveryman Ruben Martinez of Fort Worth during a robbery earlier the same day.

    Prosecutors say it was part of an eight-day crime spree that stretched across two counties and included at least 13 separate incidents. They are seeking the death penalty.

    Defense attorneys Mike Heiskell and Greg Westfall have presented evidence that Soliz has brain damage from his mother's heavy drinking during pregnancy, and are urging the jury to consider sentencing him to life in prison without parole.

    Testimony is set to continue throughout the day Wednesday before state District Judge William Bosworth.

    UPDATE: 2:45 p.m.

    As early as age 6, convicted killer Mark Anthony Soliz had behavior and learning problems consistent with fetal alcohol disorders, an expert told jurors Wednesday afternoon in Soliz's capital murder trial.

    Dr. Natalie Novick Brown, a Seattle psychologist who specializes in studying lifetime behavioral histories, said Soliz's problems were typical of someone suffering impairments from fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

    Because he did not have the severe facial abnormalities often associated with the most obvious cases, he did not get the treatment he might have at an early age, Brown said.

    "These are the kids who fall through the cracks," she testified.

    Brown's study of Soliz's records from birth, through school and his years through juvenile probation and child protective services, found early evidence of "bad behaviors" consistent with fetal alcohol syndrome.

    Among his impairments were difficulty in learning, paying attention, memory, daily living skills, social , making decision, planning and the ability to control impulses. Many get in trouble with the law, she said.

    "You don't need to be a psychologist to see that this spells trouble," she said.

    Soliz was convicted earlier this month of capital murder in the death of Nancy Weatherly, 61, of Godley, during a robbery on June 29, 2010 of her rural home. Soliz is facing capital murder charges in Tarrant County in the fatal shooting of beer deliveryman Ruben Martinez earlier the same day.

    Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Defense attorneys are hoping to convince jurors to hand Soliz a life sentence without parole.

    http://blogs.star-telegram.com/crime...#storylink=cpy
    Last edited by Jan; 03-22-2012 at 07:35 AM.

  6. #16
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    I would like to ask what specific mental deficits (e.g. what he cannot do that you would expect a relatively average person to be able to do) Mr. Soliz has which significantly impede his ability to function in daily life...

  7. #17
    Senior Member Frequent Poster PATRICK5's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jansen240 View Post
    Convicted killer Mark Anthony Soliz operates at the level of a child, a fetal alcohol expert testified Wednesday.

    Dr. Paul Connor, a Seattle neuropsychologist who specializes in fetal alcohol syndrome, told jurors that extensive testing found that Soliz functioned in some areas as if he were tjust wo-and-a-half years old. In other areas, he functioned like a 5 or 7 year old.

    http://blogs.star-telegram.com/crime...#storylink=cpy
    Oh, this is funny! I have no doubts that you quoted from the article. However, they have update it:

    "Dr. Paul Connor, a Seattle neuropsychologist, said on some tests Soliz scored as if he were as young as 2 years old, and on others was above-average."

    http://blogs.star-telegram.com/crime...#storylink=cpy

    I guess it came out on cross examination.

  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by couldheshebeinnocent? View Post
    I would like to ask what specific mental deficits (e.g. what he cannot do that you would expect a relatively average person to be able to do) Mr. Soliz has which significantly impede his ability to function in daily life...
    Problems with memory, attention, judgment and impulse control

    I bet there would be a drop in the bad childhood defense if the law permitted the authorities to charge the parents who create these monsters with accessory to murder.
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

  9. #19
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    Grandsons testify in capital murder trial that slain Godley woman lived for her grandkids

    UPDATE; 10:45 a.m.

    CLEBURNE - The grandsons of a Godley woman killed during a robbery of her home told jurors Thursday that she lived for her family and grandkids.

    "She was a fun-loving woman," Riley Davis, 18, a senior at Godley High School testified about his grandmother, Nancy Weatherly, 61. "It was all about her grandkids. She was always there for us if we needed something."

    He said she showed up for every school event and sports event, and loved to go fishing.

    "She always used to tell us, 'The first fish you catch, you've got to kiss.' That was her rule," Davis said.

    Rhett Davis, 13, also told jurors about his "Granny."

    He liked to draw, paint and spend time at her home just next door to his.

    "She would sit there for house," Brett Davis said.

    Weatherly's son, Ben Davis, and their mother, Kila, watched from the courtroom as their sons tearfully testified. Davis has been in the same seat throughout the four-week trial.

    Rhett Davis was the last person to testify. The state rested its case.

    Soliz was convicted of capital murder earlier this mean in the death of Weatherly. Jurors must now decide whether he gets the death penalty or life in prison without parole.

    UPDATE: 10:10 a.m.

    CLEBURNE - The widow of slain deliveryman Ruben Martinez choked back sobs as she told jurors in the capital murder trial of Mark Anthony Soliz of watching her husband die slowly over 13 days after being shot.

    Tears streamed down Lisa Martinez's face as she testified that her husband was paralyzed by the shooting and was able to communicate only by raising his eyebrows or blinking his eyes. But he was able to kiss her if she put her head up to his face.

    She was 8 months pregnant when he died. That child is now not quite 2 years old, and they have another son, 7.

    "Do you miss him?" asked prosecutor Christy Jack.

    "Every day," Lisa Martinez said.

    Soliz is facing a possible death penalty for his shooting of Nancy Weatherly, 61, of Godley, on June 29, 2010. He is awaiting trial on Tarrant County in the death of Ruben Martinez, who was fatally shot earlier the same day.

    Testimony is expected to continue before state District Judge William Bosworth.

    CLEBURNE - Convicted killer Mark Anthony Soliz tried to contact a dismissed member of the jury panel while his capital murder trial was ongoing.

    Johnson County Chief Deputy Sheriff Jim Johnson testified that officials seized the letter written to the woman on Feb. 13. The woman had been on the jury panel but was not selected to serve during the trial.

    Prosecutor Christy Jack told Judge William Bosworth outside the hearing of the jury that the letter shows that Soliz is scheming and not the mentally challenged individual outlined by defense witnesses this week.

    Defense attorneys Greg Westfall, however, asked that the letter not be introduced into evidence for the jury, saying it would force him and defense attorney Mike Heiskell to testify.

    Westfall said the only explanation for Soliz's obtaining the letter was that he apparently memorized the information from papers that his attorneys were using during the jury selection process.

    The judge agreed that the information explaining that the woman had been a potential juror would be redacted from the letter before the jury hears the testimony.

    Soliz was convicted earlier this month of capital murder in the shooting death of Nancy Weatherly, 61, of Godley, during a robbery of her rural home on June 29, 2010. He is also facing a capital murder charge in Tarrant County in the death of beer deliveryman Ruben Martinez earlier the same day.

    The courtroom is packed Thursday with family member of Weatherly and Martinez. Martinez's mother began sobbing before the trial began and was helped from the courtroom.

    The prosecution is seeking the death penalty. The defense is asking for life in prison without parole.

    http://blogs.star-telegram.com/crime...#storylink=cpy
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

  10. #20
    Jan
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    Closing arguments set for 9 a.m. Friday in Soliz capital murder trial

    CLEBURNE - Closing arguments are set for 9 a.m. Friday in the capital murder trial of Mark Anthony Soliz.

    Jurors are expected to begin deliberating before noon n whether Soliz should receive the death penalty or life in prison without parole in the shooting death of Nancy Weatherly, 61, of Godley on June 29, 2010.

    Soliz is also facing charges in Tarrant County in the fatal shooting of beer deliveryman Ruben Martinez, who was shot during a robbery earlier the same day.

    The final witnesses in the case were the family members of Soliz's victims, who tearfully told jurors about the impact the shootings had on their lives.

    Weatherly's grandsons, Riley and Rhett Davis, told jurors how much their miss their "fun-loving" Granny, who never missed a school or sporting event and would drop everything to go fishing.

    "It was all about her grandkids," Riley Davis said. "She was always there for us if we needed something."

    Martinez's widow, Lisa Martinez, told about watching her husband fighting to live after the shooting only to die 13 days later. They had a 7-year-old son and she was 8-months pregnant with another son when he died.

    "Do you miss him?" asked prosecutor Christy Jack, who is assisting Johnson County prosecutors Martin Strahan and Larry Chambless in the case.

    "Every day," Lisa Martinez said, breaking down again into tears.

    Defense attorneys have pushed for life in prison, saying Soliz has brain damage from fetal alcohol syndrome that contributed to his behavior.

    http://blogs.star-telegram.com/crime...#storylink=cpy

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