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Clayton Foreman stands before Judge John Stevens as his official indictment for the murder of Mary Catherine Edwards is read aloud.
The 1995 murder trial of Mary Catherine Edwards began before Judge John Stevens with opening statements from the State’s Attorney Mike Laird, on Tuesday, March 12.
Laird began by asking the jury to understand that things have changed in 29 years and memories sometimes fade over that amount of time, but the day’s witnesses didn’t have much trouble recalling the events surrounding Edwards’ murder.
Laird outlined the forthcoming testimony, which would include statements from nearly 30 individuals and the presentation of four crucial DNA pieces collected from the crime scene which Laird stated will prove that Clayton Foreman sexually assaulted and killed Mary Catherine Edwards.
The courtroom atmosphere intensified as frantic 911 calls from the Edwards family, made upon discovering Mary Catherine's lifeless body in her home on January 14, 1995, were submitted as evidence, vividly recounting the distressing ordeal faced by her loved ones. The day unfolded with further testimonies from neighbors, Mary Catherine's twin sister Allison, and others.
The proceedings are set to resume at 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 13.