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Defendant Clayton Foreman hears testimony from two women alleged to have been assaulted by him years ago. Judge Stevens will rule on the admissibility of said testimony in the morning.
Following the dismissal of the jury, Day 6 of the 1995 murder trial of Mary Catherine Edwards continued as the state proposed presenting evidence it wishes to be allowed by the court concerning the extraneous conduct of the defendant involving matters not directly connected with the case, but that prosecution argues is relevant to the crime.
Judge Stevens stated that the evidence must not only be reliable but also relevant to the charged offense and not for the purpose of proving bad character.
The state called a woman The Examiner will refer to as Victim One, to protect her identity.
Victim One, a graduate of Forest Park High School, gave a very emotional account of the evening of July 2, 1981, when at the age of 19, Clayton Foreman sexually assaulted her after finding her in distress and pretending to be a police officer. Victim One described Foreman threatening to cut her throat if she did not comply and raping her with her hands bound behind her back. Victim One later told a friend, and then the police, and charges were filed against Foreman. She agreed at the time to allow a plea of guilty to the charge of aggravated assault, for which Foreman received 3 years deferred adjudication.
Next, Judge Stevens heard testimony from a woman The Examiner will refer to as Victim Two, to protect her identity. Victim Two, was also a graduate of Forest Park High School and was a friend of Foreman’s wife. Victim Two describes a morning in 1986 when Foreman came to her apartment and told her he and his ex were having some problems. A self-proclaimed very trusting and helpful person, Victim Two let Foreman in her apartment and sat down to talk to him. With tear-filled eyes, Victim Two described the next thing she knew she was face down in the couch with her hands behind her back as Foreman held a gun to her head. Victim Two stated that Foreman began crying at one point and released her, telling her that if she told anybody what had happened, he would kill her. Becoming scared for the well-being of her friend and the child she shared with Foreman, Victim Two contacted Mrs. Foreman, told her of what had happened, and warned her of his mental state.
Following the testimony of these two individuals, Judge Stevens asked the prosecution to articulate its intent and need for the presentation of the aforementioned testimonies as evidence. Judge Stevens stated he will make his ruling at 9 a.m. Wednesday morning as to whether the testimonies will be allowed into evidence.