12.Joy Lorick — Direct/Cross (Recall)
170 linesJOY LORICK, being first duly sworn, testified as follows:
COURT CLERK: Is she still under oath, Your Honor?
THE COURT: Yes, ma'am. Come on around. You were sworn when you testified earlier, you're still under oath, okay?
JOY LORICK: Yes, sir.
THE COURT: Make yourself comfortable. Remember to speak in the microphone.
JOY LORICK: Okay.
DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MS. MAYES:
SUZANNE MAYES: Good afternoon, Ms. Lorick.
JOY LORICK: How you doing?
SUZANNE MAYES: We know you. We saw you earlier.
JOY LORICK: Yes.
SUZANNE MAYES: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you currently employed?
JOY LORICK: I work at Publix in Chapin.
SUZANNE MAYES: Now, Ms. Lorick, before you were at Publix, you worked child care?
JOY LORICK: Oh, yes.
SUZANNE MAYES: A job you loved a lot?
JOY LORICK: Yes.
SUZANNE MAYES: You worked with the Jones children in the summer of 2014?
JOY LORICK: Yes, ma'am.
SUZANNE MAYES: And that last summer, I believe, it was roughly late June through July?
JOY LORICK: July, yes, ma'am.
SUZANNE MAYES: That you had the Jones children?
JOY LORICK: Yes.
SUZANNE MAYES: And then Christina Ehlke, who also was a babysitter for the Jones children after you?
JOY LORICK: Yes, ma'am.
SUZANNE MAYES: And lived next door?
JOY LORICK: Yes.
SUZANNE MAYES: She's a friend of yours?
JOY LORICK: Oh, yes.
SUZANNE MAYES: So did you have an opportunity to still see the Jones children if you wanted to at any point in time?
JOY LORICK: Yeah. Yes.
SUZANNE MAYES: I'm going to ask you a little bit about Gabriel and Abigail, Elaine.
JOY LORICK: Yes.
SUZANNE MAYES: They were too young to be in school?
JOY LORICK: Yes.
SUZANNE MAYES: So that summer, who did they spend all day with?
JOY LORICK: Me.
SUZANNE MAYES: Tell us about them.
JOY LORICK: Gabe, oh, my goodness, he had a smile that would light up a room. Always wanted to be held all the time, so I would do nothing but hold him. And he just wanted to do everything his older brothers and sisters did. Whatever they did, he wanted to do it. Just a very sweet child, very sweet. Elaine, you know, she was very bubbly, very bubbly, sweet baby, wanted to be held, too. Just --
SUZANNE MAYES: Can you tell us about the role of the siblings with those babies?
JOY LORICK: Merah was my little helper. She always wanted to help with the youngest kids, regardless if it was changing, like she always wanted to be like I'll help you change Elaine. I want to help feed her. Eli was like that, too. She always wanted to help me cook, just anything. So I would call her my little helper. Eli was very overprotective, especially of Elaine. Very overprotective of his baby sister. And they were referred to her as baby. They would say it's okay, baby, it's okay.
SUZANNE MAYES: How did Elaine like being around the older siblings?
JOY LORICK: Oh, she loved it, especially the attention they showed her. They -- Eli had this thing where he would like go get frogs, bugs and frogs. Nahtahn, same thing with his brother, go and get bugs and frogs. And I remember they would say, Ms. Joy, we going to catch you a frog. And I'd say, Yeah, go catch me a frog. Don't bring it near me, but just go catch me a frog. Just very -- just to know these kids and have a -- they would have an impact. No matter if you having a bad day, just being around them.
SUZANNE MAYES: Okay. About Elaine, was she a happy baby?
JOY LORICK: Oh, yes, all the time. All the time.
SUZANNE MAYES: And Gabe?
JOY LORICK: Gabe, too.
SUZANNE MAYES: Were they learning to talk yet?
JOY LORICK: Yes. Yeah. Oh, yes.
SUZANNE MAYES: You've seen some pictures before and I'm going to have you identify them.
JOY LORICK: Okay.
SUZANNE MAYES: This would be State's 220, 221.
JOY LORICK: Gabe.
SUZANNE MAYES: 219?
JOY LORICK: Gabe. Eli and Nahtahn.
SUZANNE MAYES: 218?
JOY LORICK: Eli.
SUZANNE MAYES: 217?
JOY LORICK: Merah with a friend.
SUZANNE MAYES: All right. Give me just one moment.
JOY LORICK: Okay.
SUZANNE MAYES: If you could just to yourself, look over these photographs and I'm going to ask you about those as well. This would be 303, 304, 305 and 306. And you recognize -- do you recognize 303, 304 and 305?
JOY LORICK: Yes.
SUZANNE MAYES: And well as 367, 308 --
JOY LORICK: Yes.
SUZANNE MAYES: -- and 310?
JOY LORICK: Yes.
SUZANNE MAYES: Let me show you 311, 312, 313, 314, 317, 318, 319, 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325. Are those photographs also a fair and accurate representation of the children?
JOY LORICK: Yes.
SUZANNE MAYES: These will be for evidence at this time, Your Honor.
BOYD YOUNG: No objection.
THE COURT: I missed the first four. It was 317, 18, 19 or was it 217 --
SUZANNE MAYES: 217, Your Honor.
THE COURT: 217, 218, 219, 220.
COURT REPORTER: 221.
SUZANNE MAYES: Yes, sir, Your Honor.
THE COURT: All admitted. 303 through 306 without objection. I think 308, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 318, 319, 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325 and 367.
COURT REPORTER: You didn't have 317. I thought I heard 317. Was it 367 or 307? I don't have a 367 yet.
SUZANNE MAYES: Okay, should be 307.
THE COURT: That would fit better in the numbering between 306 and 308. (WHEREUPON, State's Exhibit numbers 217 through 221, 297, 303 through 308, 310 through 314, 318 through 325 were admitted into evidence.) (Whereupon, State's Exhibit 296, 298-302, 306 and 308, 309, 315, 316, 326-329, 331 marked for identification only.)
SUZANNE MAYES: Ms. Lorick.
JOY LORICK: Yes, ma'am.
SUZANNE MAYES: You told us about Gabe?
JOY LORICK: Yes.
SUZANNE MAYES: I'm going to show you some photographs.
JOY LORICK: That's Gabe. Gabe.
SUZANNE MAYES: You mentioned Merah's role with her younger siblings?
JOY LORICK: Yes. That was Merah, Elaine and Gabe.
SUZANNE MAYES: 318?
JOY LORICK: That's Merah and Gabe.
SUZANNE MAYES: 221?
JOY LORICK: Gabe.
SUZANNE MAYES: That summer, was Elaine walking?
JOY LORICK: Yes.
SUZANNE MAYES: 321?
JOY LORICK: That's Elaine. I don't know who has her hand, but that's Elaine. That's Merah and Elaine.
SUZANNE MAYES: Ms. Lorick, this photograph here of Merah and Elaine, can you tell us whether or not it accurately depicts the relationship you observed between the two of them?
JOY LORICK: Yes. That's Merah and Elaine.
SUZANNE MAYES: 322. 323?
JOY LORICK: That is Merah and Elaine and I think Nahtahn.
SUZANNE MAYES: 324?
JOY LORICK: Merah and Elaine.
SUZANNE MAYES: Ms. Lorick, was there ever a day that you spent with them that you didn't see Merah holding Elaine?
JOY LORICK: No. Elaine. Nahtahn.
SUZANNE MAYES: 311?
JOY LORICK: That is Nahtahn, Eli and Merah.
SUZANNE MAYES: 367?
JOY LORICK: That is Eli.
COURT REPORTER: 307?
SUZANNE MAYES: 367.
COURT REPORTER: Oh, okay.
SUZANNE MAYES: It could be 307.
COURT REPORTER: I think it's 307.
THE COURT: It fits in 307 where it came in order.
SUZANNE MAYES: 307, Your Honor, correct.
SUZANNE MAYES: 310?
JOY LORICK: That is Eli with some friends.
SUZANNE MAYES: And 217?
JOY LORICK: And Merah with a friend.
SUZANNE MAYES: Ms. Lorick --
JOY LORICK: Yes.
SUZANNE MAYES: -- is it possible for you to tell us, having known each of these children individually as a caregiver --
JOY LORICK: Yes.
SUZANNE MAYES: -- how these murders have impacted you personally?
JOY LORICK: Yes. I lost sleep. Right after this, I couldn't sleep. I would stay up all night just pacing and walking the floors.
SUZANNE MAYES: Do you remember when you got that call?
JOY LORICK: Yes. I just fell in the ground.
SUZANNE MAYES: Nothing further, Your Honor.
BOYD YOUNG: Your Honor, we would offer 305 through 323 into evidence.
SUZANNE MAYES: No objection.
THE COURT: 305 through 323 inclusive, all admitted without objection. (WHEREUPON, Defendant's Exhibit numbers 305 through 323 were admitted into evidence.)
CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR. YOUNG:
BOYD YOUNG: Ms. Lorick, I'm just going to put up some pictures and you just tell me if you recognize anybody in the pictures, okay?
JOY LORICK: Yes, sir. That's Mr. Jones and Gabe. Mr. Jones and Merah. I can't really tell.
BOYD YOUNG: It's a little dark on the projector. Let me see. This is Defense 307. Can you tell better?
JOY LORICK: Mr. Jones and it looks like Gabe.
BOYD YOUNG: 308?
JOY LORICK: That looks like Nahtahn, yes. That is Merah, Gabe, Nahtahn, Elaine and Eli. Mr. Jones and Elaine. Mr. Jones and Elaine. That looks like Gabe, I'm not too sure.
BOYD YOUNG: Do you know what's all over his face?
JOY LORICK: Yeah, I can't really tell. I want to say that's Gabe. Mr. Jones and it looks like Elaine. Mr. Jones and I can't tell who that is.
BOYD YOUNG: This is Defense 314. I'll bring it up to you.
JOY LORICK: Elaine. That is Merah, Elaine and could be possibly Nahtahn in the back. That's Elaine.
BOYD YOUNG: Is that Gabe right here?
JOY LORICK: I can't really tell because the face is turned, so I don't know if it's Elaine or Gabe.
BOYD YOUNG: Well, I think there's two, right? There's Elaine and there's Gabe?
JOY LORICK: Well, I really can't tell.
BOYD YOUNG: Okay.
JOY LORICK: Mr. Jones and Elaine. Mr. Jones and Elaine. Eli.
BOYD YOUNG: And what's Eli got in his hand?
JOY LORICK: I can't really tell. Frog.
BOYD YOUNG: And what's he standing next to? Do you know what that is?
JOY LORICK: No.
BOYD YOUNG: Okay.
JOY LORICK: Mr. Jones, it looks like Nahtahn. I can't really tell. The picture's blurry. That looks like Eli, Mr. Jones, Eli and I think Elaine. I can't really tell.
BOYD YOUNG: Is that Gabe with the batman mask?
JOY LORICK: That could be Gabe. Yeah, I can't. That is Eli, Nahtahn and Merah.
BOYD YOUNG: And then do you know where that picture is taken?
JOY LORICK: No, sir. That is Merah, Nahtahn and Eli. Mr. Jones and Elaine. Mr. Jones and Nahtahn.
BOYD YOUNG: Thank you, Ms. Lorick. That's all the questions I have.
THE COURT: All right. You may step down, ma'am.
SUZANNE MAYES: Due to the previous scheduling conference, Your Honor.
THE COURT: Okay. So it's a good time to stop. All right. I'm anticipating a shorter day tomorrow because of witnesses. We'll have several witnesses and the State should finish up. The Defense will call some of theirs. The State's moving on quicker than they thought. So we're going to stop here today. I understand somebody on the jury's got a scheduling conflict, so we'll make that. Put your stuff in the jury room. See you back in the morning, 9:00 o'clock. Don't talk about the case. Leave your books here.
(Whereupon, the jury was excused for the day.)
THE COURT: We need to put anything on the record before we adjourn for the day? You good?
BOYD YOUNG: Yes, sir. I need to complete the record about the photographs that the State -- the autopsy photographs that the State used with Dr. Ross. I know those were in over Defense objection and that the State intends to have them go back to the jury room so they can see them if they want to. We would object to that procedure and request that the Court keep those photographs in court so that any Juror who wants to see those photographs can come into court and see the photographs so that the record can be made about the emotional impact and nature of those photographs at the time that they're viewing. And that way the jurors can't improperly use those photographs in the jury room to possibly to intimidate other jurors or in any way harass other jurors through the use of those photographs.
THE COURT: I'll consider that, but I don't want to rule right now.
RICK HUBBARD: Your Honor, I absolutely object. I could have published them. If that's going to be the thing, I would. But to me, that's just outrageous. They can consider that with everything else. The insinuation that the jurors are going to use evidence improperly or intimidate one another. There's no evidence of that. I think it's absolutely outrageous and I absolutely oppose that.
THE COURT: All right. See y'all in the morning. Anything else?
BOYD YOUNG: No, sir. I think I may need to add to the record, that they intended to use -- needed the photographs to show Dr. Ross in testimony and they were not used for that purpose, which enhances the fact that they're just being used to create an emotional impact.
THE COURT: Okay. I understand. There's been enough record on that. I told you I haven't made a decision on that. I'll decide it later. It's a good time to adjourn for the day for me. (Whereupon, the trial will resume the next morning at 9:00 a.m.)