In article <rEt1F.172929$I%1.86451@fx08.iad>, Robin Hood says...
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Arrest and trial
Longet was arrested and charged with fatally shooting her boyfriend, Olympic
skier Vladimir "Spider" Sabich, at his Aspen, Colorado, home on 21 March 1976.
At her trial, Longet said the gun discharged accidentally as Sabich was showing
her how it worked. Williams publicly supported Longet throughout the trial, paid
for her legal defense team, and even escorted her to and from the courthouse.
Asked later about his unwavering support of his ex-wife, Williams said, "She is
the mother of my children and we never stopped being friends. We just didn't
want to be married any more."
The Aspen police made two procedural errors that aided Longet's defense: without
warrants, they took a blood sample from her and confiscated her diary. According
to prosecutors, the sample showed the presence of cocaine in her blood, and her
diary reportedly contradicted her claim that her relationship with Sabich had
not soured. To further muddle the prosecution's case, the gun was mishandled by
non-weapons-experts. As they were unable to cite any of the disallowed material,
prosecutors used the autopsy report to suggest that when Sabich was shot he was
bent over, facing away, and at least 1.80 m (6 ft) from Longet, which would be
inconsistent with the position and relative distance of someone demonstrating
the operation of a firearm.
The jury convicted her of negligent homicide and sentenced her to pay a small
fine and spend thirty days in jail. The judge allowed Longet to choose the days
to be served, believing this arrangement would allow her to spend time with her
children. She chose to serve most of her sentence on weekends. Critical reaction
to the verdict and sentencing was exacerbated when she subsequently vacationed
with her defense attorney, Ronald D. Austin, who was married at the time; Longet
and Austin later married and still live in Aspen.
After the criminal trial, the Sabich family initiated civil proceedings in order
to sue Longet. The case was eventually resolved out of court, with the provision
that Longet never discuss or write about the killing or the settlement.
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