The jury of eight men and four women hearing testimony in the first-degree murder trial of Stanley Mossburg could hear evidence today in which the South Carolina man admits to the killing of Christopher Scott Short of Greeneville.
It’s day two of the first-degree murder trial in which Mossburg is charged in the October 2, 2019 death of the 33-year-old Short outside the Celebrity Coin Laundry.
Our Radio Greeneville News recap of Wednesday however begins with the final few minutes of court yesterday.
JUDGE DENIES DEFENSE MOTION
After the jury had been sent home for the day but before court recessed, presiding Judge Alex Pearson agreed to hear a three-minute phone conversation between Mossburg and his mother and stepfather.
Defense Attorney Hunter Shelton had filed a motion that the conversation not be heard by jurors. The couple have both since passed away.
But the phone call to Mossburg while he was in a Polk County, Florida jail included the suspect, in response to a question from his stepfather, say he was not getting any help from up in Tennessee “after I killed that dude there”. That and other statements the judge ruled, were enough to allow the audio to be heard.
Mossburg had been taken into custody in Polk County where he was later found guilty of murdering a man and woman at their home. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in those deaths.
POLK COUNTY AUTHORITIES VIDEO
The jury in the Short trial has not been told of those convictions. Today a better than two-hour long video and audio recording with Polk County authorities is to be played in court.
DEFENSE QUESTIONS PROSECUTING OFFICER
Defense Attorney Hunter Shelton spent the longest part of testimony Wednesday with retired Greeneville Police Department Detective Sgt. Stacy Hobbs. Hobbs was the lead investigator in the case. As promised during his opening statement to jurors, the defense attorney pushed hard that some evidence in the case was not tested, and other potential suspects were never questioned. Hobbs, in disputing the defense argument, explained the process of determining evidence to be used and vetting those who are either suspects or persons of interests.
ABDUCTION AT LAUNDRY
A portion of the testimony from Stacy Hobbs included video of the incident at the Celebrity Coin Laundry. Video clips from that location are shown below. Suspect Stanley Mossburg, who was homeless, lived near the laundry in the wooded tent community near Dogwood Park and Tusculum View.
VIDEO SHOWS SUSPECT IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Testimony by Hobbs also included discussion of assistance from South Carolina authorities once the Short vehicle was located in the Spartanburg area.
WEDNESDAY TESTIMONY INCLUDES WIDOW OF THE VICTIM
The wife of Scott Short, Heather Short testified on Wednesday, telling the court about the night he had gone to the laundry to wash some clothes for the next day and for bedding in their new home that evening. However, she became concerned when he failed to answer numerous texts from her. Once the texts were answered, the woman testified she just knew immediately the person who had texted back was certainly not her husband. As overnight turned into morning she began to look for Short by car. When they drove by the Celebrity Coin Laundry however there was a flurry of police activity there. She then came to the Laundry to inquire as to what was happening. It was there that she was shown a picture of a tattoo on her husband’s body, confirming his identification.
Heather Short spoke firmly during questioning by the state but became tearful when saying she was the one suggested Celebrity Coin Laundry rather than Old Stage when he questioned if there was a closer one to their home.
After the state called her as a witness, the defense chose not to question her.
BUNGEE CORD
She was also questioned if her husband ever used bungee cords, to which she somewhat lovingly said that was the “redneck” in him, as he was known to sometimes use a bungee cord as a belt. When investigators found his body outside and behind the laundry early the next morning, his hands were tightly tied behind his back, with a bungee cord it’s believed he had been wearing that night.
INJURIES
Autopsy would later reveal the victim had sustained twenty-six knife stab and cut wounds.
MOTION THAT STATE ANNOUNCE WHICH MURDER INDICTMENT TO ARGUE DENIED
Outside of the jury earlier in the day, a defense motion that the state announce which of the four first degree murder indictments they plan to argue was denied. While obviously only charged obviously with one murder, the Grand Jury indictments include four different versions of what might have occurred.
FOUR TESTIFY WEDNESDAY
Four persons testified over a three-and-a-half-hour period between two and five pm Wednesday.
JURY SELECTION
The majority of the morning session dealt with jury selection, which began at 9:00 am.
Over the next two and a half hours, several submissions eventually resulted in a jury of twelve along with two alternates.
COURT RESUMES TODAY
Court will reconvene at 9 this morning at the Greene County Courthouse. It’s expected the case could head to the jury today, or Friday at the latest.
