The test

On Feb. 13, 2013, a year-and-a-half after Lauren Astley’s murder, her ex-boyfriend Nathaniel Fujita’s test started.

“there is two differing people,” buddy Genevieve Flynn stated. “there is, like, the Nate which was in twelfth grade with us, who was simply, like, in my own homeroom, that would joke around beside me, who was simply in the track team beside me. There is that Nate. Then there is, like, the Nate whom We have just actually present in handcuffs as well as in a court space.”

Expected just just how he seemed in court, friend Hannah Blahut told Smith, “He mostly kept their face down. So when he looked up, he seemed not like any Nate that we’d ever understood.”

Prosecutor Lisa McGovern wastes no right amount of time in spelling down why Lauren had been murdered.

“This defendant is responsible exactly as charged,” McGovern addressed the court inside her opening declaration.

“Nathaniel Fujita ended up being harmed by Lauren Astley perhaps perhaps not returning to him in which he killed her,” McGovern told “48 Hours”

Defense lawyer William Sullivan, in the opening statement, admits Nathaniel killed Lauren.

“In many murder instances, the real question is whom? Whom achieved it? That is not this full case,” the told the court. “This case there’s– there is gonna be two concerns, why and just how. “

“How exactly does a man that is young . there is no actual proof of him ever laying a hand about this girl that is young . how exactly does he make a move such as this?” Sullivan remarked to Tracy Smith. “we told the jury, ‘you’re gonna notice and find out some really unsettling facts.'”

“. she passed away as a consequence of the mixture of this strangulation plus the wounds that are incised . to her throat,” health Examiner Henry Nields testified.

Nields stated after Lauren ended up being strangled by having a bungee cable, she then suffered a true range shallow wounds to her throat before her neck had been cut.

“Why these shallow, superficial wounds? He did that to harm her,” McGovern told “48 Hours”. “Why did he deliver the gaping, deep injury? He did that to destroy her.”

The prosecution questioned Genevieve Flynn and Lauren’s other buddies about 2011 — the month between high school graduation and Lauren’s murder june.

“we saw Lauren pick up her fingers and push them down her part as if she had been saying, simply keep away from me personally,” Hannah testified.

Hannah Blahut testified about this graduation celebration where Nathaniel punched a pole keeping up the celebration tent.

“Nate got annoyed that Lauren was not speaking with him,” close friend Chloe Jacques told “48 Hours”. “He had been aggressive because he had been extremely drunk.”

McGovern thinks Nathaniel’s display of rage had been a prelude that is ominous killing Lauren.

“that is a domestic violence murder. This is perpetrated because of this relationship, that has been a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship,” McGovern told “48 Hours.”

“The prosecution is painting this as being a domestic violence that is violence-dating,” Smith noted to Sullivan. “Proper,” he responded.

Nevertheless the defense disagrees.

“Nathaniel . did not stalk her. Did not drive by her home. Was not calling her. Was not texting her . And none of this ended up being present,” Sullivan told Smith.

The jury is wanted by the defense to spotlight Nathaniel’s behavior after graduation prior to Lauren’s murder:

Bill Sullivan: through that right time those three months, be reasonable to express you did not start to see the defendant after all.

R.J. Bolivar: I do not think therefore.

“their buddies was in fact saying they don’t wish to spend time with him anymore because he previously been acting differently,” Chloe told “48 Hours”.

Bill Sullivan: he is perhaps maybe maybe not spending time with you guys anymore, right?

Connor Murphy: Appropriate.

Friends Connor and R.J. testify Nathaniel had dropped from their social group.

Bill Sullivan: could it be reasonable to express that individuals were commenting that Nathaniel was not around?

R.J. Bolivar: Some individuals were, yeah.