San Diego Woman Found Guilty for the Death of Navy Husband
San Diego woman has been convicted for second-degree murder for stabbing her husband who was a Navy doctor.
43 year-old Jennifer Trayers was found guilty by a seven-woman, five-man jury for killing her husband who was a Naval Doctor. It took the jury three hours to finally reach a verdict. On December 4, 2010 Trayers stabbed her husband Dr. Frederick Trayers. It was reported that this occurred three months after she had learned he was having an affair with another woman. Trayers’ San Diego Criminal Defense Attorney had advocated for voluntary manslaughter. Trayers is to be sentenced on March 9 by Judge Joan Webber. She is facing up to 16 years to life behind bars.
Fiona Khalil, Deputy District Attorney, was satisfied with the verdict saying “I think it reflects the culpability. I feel that we gave the jury everything that we could possibly give them”. The second-degree murder charge means that the killing was not premeditated but was intentional. Trayers’ criminal defense lawyer Kerry Armstrong said “obviously, second-degree is better than first-degree, but it’s still very disappointing, when you put your heart and soul into a case for 12 months—14 months—and she’s not going home in a couple years like I’d hoped”. Armstrong also reported that “she feels absolutely horrible about what happened to her husband. I know this sounds strange to say, but she still loves him, she really does”.
Khalil said in her closing argument that Trayers presented a “false concoction” when she testified about how she killed her husband. Trayers claims that she was frustrated that her husband refused to talk with her about his affair so she took a butcher knife and asked him how she should kill herself. She then told the jury that they started struggling over the knife until she stabbed him in the neck. After that she allegedly blacked out and didn’t remember stabbing him 10 more times. However Khalil said evidence shows that the victim took sleeping pills and was attacked by the defendant after he took them.
Woman Found Guilty In Death Of Navy Husband, 10news.com, February 8, 2012
Jury reaches verdict in love triangle murder case, fox5sandiego.com, February 8, 2012
If you have been arrested and charged with a crime in San Diego County, trust your case to an experienced San Diego criminal defense attorney. Victor A. Orsatti at the San Diego Law Center will explain all of your legal options during a free consultation.
