In Loving Memory of Antionette "Toni" Jobson.
Jury finds woman guilty of murder in Christmas Eve 2004 stabbing
Suspect had high blood alcohol content at time of stabbing
Lance Griffin / lgriffin@dothaneagle.com
January 25, 2006
A Houston County jury convicted a woman of murder Tuesday, rejecting a defense argument that it should have considered manslaughter because she was too drunk to form a willful intent to kill.
Angela Turner, 27, was found guilty of the December 2004 murder of 18-year-old Antoinette Marie Jobson
following an argument in a storage shed near a friend's home in Wicksburg.
Police testified Turner registered a blood alcohol level of .247 shortly after being arrested for stabbing Jobson in the chest with a dagger-style knife. Assistant district attorney David Atwell told the jury during closing arguments that Turner fully intended to kill Jobson despite having three times the legal limit of alcohol in her system than is allowed for someone driving a car.
Witnesses testified that Turner fled the storage shed immediately after the stabbing, which occurred Dec. 24, 2004.
Police also testified that she gave false names and addresses after her arrest.
"That's intent," Atwell said. "This isn't the actions of a person under the influence of alcohol."
Defense attorney Eric Davis decided against calling witnesses or putting Turner on the stand. Instead, the defense rested as soon as court was called into session Tuesday morning.
Davis chose to claim during closing arguments that the jury should choose manslaughter over murder because the alcohol had impaired Turner’s judgment so much that she was unable to form an intent to kill, which is necessary to be found guilty of murder. Davis said Turner's actions on that night were reckless ones made during a drunken stupor and that she never meant to kill Jobson. He then urged jurors to consider the lesser included offense of manslaughter.
"At .08 (blood alcohol level), you can't drive a car. But at three times that, (the prosecution) thinks you know what you're doing with a knife? That's ridiculous," Davis said.
"Punish her, but punish her for what she really did." he added.
The crime: Angela Turner stabbed Antoinette Marie Jobson to death on Christmas Eve 2004
The punishment: Turner faces 20 years to life in prison
The sentencing: Circuit Judge Larry Anderson will sentence Turner on March 10
Suspect had high blood alcohol content at time of stabbing
Lance Griffin / lgriffin@dothaneagle.com
January 25, 2006
A Houston County jury convicted a woman of murder Tuesday, rejecting a defense argument that it should have considered manslaughter because she was too drunk to form a willful intent to kill.
Angela Turner, 27, was found guilty of the December 2004 murder of 18-year-old Antoinette Marie Jobson
following an argument in a storage shed near a friend's home in Wicksburg.
Police testified Turner registered a blood alcohol level of .247 shortly after being arrested for stabbing Jobson in the chest with a dagger-style knife. Assistant district attorney David Atwell told the jury during closing arguments that Turner fully intended to kill Jobson despite having three times the legal limit of alcohol in her system than is allowed for someone driving a car.
Witnesses testified that Turner fled the storage shed immediately after the stabbing, which occurred Dec. 24, 2004.
Police also testified that she gave false names and addresses after her arrest.
"That's intent," Atwell said. "This isn't the actions of a person under the influence of alcohol."
Defense attorney Eric Davis decided against calling witnesses or putting Turner on the stand. Instead, the defense rested as soon as court was called into session Tuesday morning.
Davis chose to claim during closing arguments that the jury should choose manslaughter over murder because the alcohol had impaired Turner’s judgment so much that she was unable to form an intent to kill, which is necessary to be found guilty of murder. Davis said Turner's actions on that night were reckless ones made during a drunken stupor and that she never meant to kill Jobson. He then urged jurors to consider the lesser included offense of manslaughter.
"At .08 (blood alcohol level), you can't drive a car. But at three times that, (the prosecution) thinks you know what you're doing with a knife? That's ridiculous," Davis said.
"Punish her, but punish her for what she really did." he added.
The crime: Angela Turner stabbed Antoinette Marie Jobson to death on Christmas Eve 2004
The punishment: Turner faces 20 years to life in prison
The sentencing: Circuit Judge Larry Anderson will sentence Turner on March 10