Hoerig, attorney spar with prosecutors on last day of trial


WARREN

Claudia Hoerig dueled with Chris Becker, assistant Trumbull County prosecutor, during cross-examination this afternoon in her aggravated murder trial, then sat and listened as one of her attorneys dueled with Becker and Prosecutor Dennis Watkins in closing arguments.

When it was over four hours later, jurors were dismissed for the day and asked to return at 9 a.m. today to receive jury instructions and begin to deliberate.

One of the jury instructions will be that the panel can consider two lesser charges than aggravated murder – murder and voluntary manslaughter, Becker said.

When Becker asked Claudia if it’s true that her actions March 12, 2007, the day her husband died, is the reason Karl is not able to testify in her trial, she replied, “Neither can my three children that he killed.”

She was referring to her claims she lost three pregnancies resulting from her marriage to Karl because he forced her to have abortions or caused her to lose the babies through abuse.

Becker asked again whether Karl “can come in and tell his side of the story,” but Claudia said, “Yes he can,” and explained she recorded “every day of my life for two years” because she wore a recording device on her wrist while she was married to Karl, and the recordings would tell what Karl would say.

She said she recorded everything because her first marriage had gone so badly. Then she complained the recordings were withheld from the trial against her will.

When Becker asked, she said she had recorded audio of her husband’s death, though she said she erased that recording in Brazil.

Claudia admitted killing her husband, but she has maintained she did not plan his killing. Premeditation is a requirement for her to be found guilty of aggravated murder.

Read more about the case in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.