Bent Corner

Comic book retailing news site ICv2 posted an article yesterday about the sentencing of Pittsburgh Comicon organizer and comic book retailer Michael George.

They make a rather huge factual error:

With no witnesses, physical evidence, or confession (see “Greed, Sex, and Power”), the prosecutors basically convicted George on motive (a $130,000 insurance police), opportunity (by casting doubt on alibi), and his behavior after his wife’s death (he reportedly hit on a woman at his wife’s funeral). This sensational cold case trial gained nationwide attention as the result of a feature on NBC’s Dateline.

No witnesses? The reason doubt was cast on his alibi is because the prosecution had a witness that put Michael George on the scene at around the time of Barbara’s murder. Michael Renaud testified that he called the comic book shop at around the time of the murder and spoke to Michael George on the phone.

To say that there were not witnesses is really kind of silly. It makes me think that whoever wrote the article over ICv2 never watched the Dateline feature they referred to.

Convicted murderer and Pittsburgh Comicon promoter Michael George is scheduled to be sentenced today in a Michigan courtroom. George was only recently convicted of murdering his wife Barbara George 18 years ago in the comic book shop they both owned. George was having an affair with one of his employees who he later married.

The case was recently featured in a two-hour episode on the NBC show Dateline.

The sentencing today is all but a formality since he is facing mandatory life in prison.

The prosecutor in the case, Assistant Prosecutor Steve Kaplan said that he expects several of Barbara George’s relatives to speak at the sentencing.

Michael George is still listed on the Pittsburgh Comicon website concerning the 2009 show. His photo remains there too.

Link

The Tribune Democrat and the Detroit Free Press report on the ongoing Michael George murder trial. Tracie George and Michelle George, daughters of murder victim Barbara George and murder defendant Michael George testified in his defense Wednesday. Tracie — who was four at the time — testified that she remembers her father sleeping on her grandmother’s couch the day of the murder. Though she doesn’t remember the actual time, she remembers that it was dark outside.

Both daughters also testified that their father took them from Pennsylvania to Michigan once a year to visit their mother’s grave and to visit their grandmother, aunts and uncles. Michelle George testified that they all say a prayer each time they visit their mother’s grave, and that Michael George gets emotional at these yearly visits.

I’m no legal expert*, but I have to believe this testimony was persuasive. This case is built solely on circumstantial evidence. There is no physical evidence. This case relies solely on the testimony of what people remember nearly 20 years ago. In a case like this, I imagine having the daughters of the victim testify for their father is highly persuasive. If there was any doubt that their father murdered their mother, I have to believe Tracie and Michelle would not have testified. If there was any doubt in their minds, they would not have come to their father’s defense. Both girls know of the sordid details of their father’s womanizing and all around improper behavior while married to their mother. They none the less have come to their father’s defense.

If I was on the jury, that’s all I would need to hear.

* In full disclosure, I did use to watch L.A. Law.