The test

On Feb. 13, 2013, a year-and-a-half after Lauren Astley’s murder, her ex-boyfriend Nathaniel Fujita’s trial started.

“there is two each person,” buddy Genevieve Flynn stated. “There’s, like, the Nate that has been in senior high school with us, who had been, like, in my homeroom, that would joke around beside me, who had been regarding the track team beside me. There is that Nate. Then there’s, like, the Nate whom We have just actually observed in handcuffs plus in a court space.”

Expected just exactly just how he seemed in court, buddy Hannah Blahut told Smith, “He mostly kept their face down. As soon as he looked up, he seemed simply not like most Nate that I would ever understood.”

Prosecutor Lisa McGovern wastes no right amount of time in spelling down why Lauren ended up being murdered.

“This defendant is accountable just as charged,” McGovern addressed the court in her own opening declaration.

“Nathaniel Fujita ended up being harmed by Lauren Astley perhaps maybe perhaps not finding its way back to him in which he killed her,” McGovern told “48 Hours”

Defense lawyer William Sullivan, in his opening declaration, admits Nathaniel killed Lauren.

“In most murder instances, the real question is whom? Whom made it happen? That isn’t this situation,” the told the court. “This mГ­t na tento odkaz nahlГ©dnout case there’s– there is gonna be two concerns, why and exactly how. “

“so how exactly does a son . there is no actual proof him ever laying a hand about this young woman . how can he make a move such as this?” Sullivan remarked to Tracy Smith. “I told the jury, ‘you’re gonna notice and find out some extremely troubling facts.'”

“. she passed away as a results of the mixture associated with strangulation while the incised wounds . to her throat,” health Examiner Henry Nields testified.

Nields stated after Lauren had been strangled with a bungee cable, she then suffered amount of trivial wounds to her throat before her neck ended up being cut.

“Why these trivial, superficial wounds? He did that to harm her,” McGovern told “48 Hours”. “Why did he deliver the gaping, deep injury? He did that to destroy her.”

The prosecution questioned Genevieve Flynn and Lauren’s other buddies about 2011 — the month between high school graduation and Lauren’s murder june.

“we saw Lauren select up her arms and push them down her side as though she had been saying, simply steer clear of me personally,” Hannah testified.

Hannah Blahut testified about this graduation celebration where Nathaniel punched a pole keeping up the celebration tent.

“Nate got mad that Lauren was not speaking with him,” close friend Chloe Jacques told “48 Hours”. “He had been aggressive because he was extremely drunk.”

McGovern thinks Nathaniel’s display of rage ended up being a prelude that is ominous killing Lauren.

“this really is a violence murder that is domestic. This is perpetrated because of this relationship, that has been a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship,” McGovern told “48 Hours.”

“The prosecution is painting this being a domestic violence-dating violence situation,” Smith noted to Sullivan. “Correct,” he responded.

Nevertheless the protection disagrees.

“Nathaniel . don’t stalk her. Did not drive by her house. Was not calling her. Wasn’t texting her. And none of this ended up being present,” Sullivan told Smith.

The jury is wanted by the defense to pay attention to Nathaniel’s behavior after graduation prior to Lauren’s murder:

Bill Sullivan: throughout that right time those three months, be reasonable to express you don’t start to see the defendant after all.

R.J. Bolivar: I do not think therefore.

“their buddies have been saying they did not wish to spend time because he had been acting differently,” Chloe told “48 Hours” with him anymore.

Bill Sullivan: He’s perhaps perhaps perhaps not getting together with you dudes anymore, right?

Connor Murphy: Appropriate.

Friends Connor and R.J. testify Nathaniel had dropped from their social group.

Bill Sullivan: will it be fair to state that individuals had been commenting that Nathaniel was not around?

R.J. Bolivar: Some everyone was, yeah.