UPDATE: The jury has returned. James Addie guilty on all counts.
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The jury has returned and says that James Addie is guilty of the murder of Molly Watson. The jury is now hearing instructions from the judge for the sentencing.
Addie was accused of murder while living a double life. Watson’s body was found near a creek bed in 2018.
They had a secret romance for seven years and she died two days before their wedding. Addie was already married for over two decades and his wife did not know about the affair.
Closing arguments wrapped up this morning. The defense said the state of Missouri doesn’t have enough evidence to prove Addie murdered Watson.
The prosecutor said, “The defendant was a coward when Molly was alive…and he was THE coward when he could not look her in the eye when he killed her.” That’s according to tweets by Court TV.
The defense rested their case Wednesday and Addie declined to testify. Court TV is in Jefferson City, Missouri, and has been broadcasting the details of the trial on television and the internet. You can see live coverage of the closing arguments here.
The trial began on Monday. Prosecutors said that Watson died from a gunshot wound to the head. Tire tracks were found near the body that matched Addie’s vehicle. Jurors were shown graphic images of the crime scene. Evidence collected from Watson’s home showed that she was looking forward to the wedding.
Addie’s ex-wife and daughter took the stand on Tuesday. The suspect shed tears before his daughter, Emma, began testifying. They had no idea he was having the affair.
Emma said that she made the t-shirt that investigators found with blood on it at the crime scene. It was covered in Watson’s DNA. Her timeline of events puts Addie outside of their home during the time of the murder.
A Missouri State Highway Patrol investigator testified on Wednesday that he can not determine if the tire marks found at the scene match Addie’s vehicle. A firearms expert said that the ammo found in Addie’s home matches the brand found in an empty box at the scene.
The defense rested without presenting a case. The began the trial saying that the state could not prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. They did not call witnesses and Addie did not testify.
