News : Samantha Bevans Trial: Day 3 (Samantha Bevans)

Bevans says she asked Tacoa Talley "What are you doing? Why is she still laying here like this? Why is she still moving? Why is she suffering at this point?"

Bevans said that Tacoa was holding Jodie's throat like this, and had another hand free.

SnapChat confession of Tacoa Talley and Samantha Bevans murdering Jodie Bevans.

On the third day of trial, Samantha Bevans, 35, took the stand in her own defense. Instructed by the judge that she didn't have to testify, but that she can testify if she chose. She took the stand.

Samantha

Speaking loudly, quickly and with intensity, she began her testimony with her attorney Lindsay Garner guiding the questions. The defense stated at the beginning of the trial that they would try to prove that she was an abused woman which factored into the way she acted during the time of Jodie Bevans' murder.

She stated that she is the mother of seven children, ranging from 17 to 7, having her first child at age 17. She worked waitressing and cooking and also receives other income from Social Security Disability. She stated that Tacoa Talley, her boyfriend and also incarcerated for the murder of Jodie Bevans, is also very intelligent and helped her to qualify for the aid.

A discussion of problems that arose with her parents, namely Jodie came over having Talley in the picture and over raising her daughter who by this time was adopted by her dad and Jodie.

She testified that Talley contacted her and needed money and wanted some of her Social Security money. She explained that Jodie was helping to manage her money and she would have to explain to Jodie where it was going. He arrived at the home and hid in the barn. Jodie went out to talk to him and explained where her parents kept money in the house. Jodie came out of the house and saw him. She gave him $100 to leave and he did.

Talley later returned to the Bevans property and entered the house. Brazenly offering Mr. Bevans food from his own kitchen. Samantha said that the two then couldn't find him. But when Jodie returned from work, she found him outside. Samantha's dad then kicked both of them off of the property. Jodie gave Samantha all the money that had been saved for Samantha and Tallley and Samantha left the home. The two went to a motel and both were later arrested for shoplifing.

She then returned to the house to gather some clothes, diabetic supplies, her collection of colored ink pens and her dog. She said that her dad wished her well and was very kind to her. She said the family was getting ready to go camping and wanted to join them, but because of her drug use she would not be allowed to go. 

This is the event that Jayson Wells described as the event that he had to leave his belongings there because she came out of the house demanding that they leave immediately.

She said they then went to Cedar Rapids to the Motel 6. The three were staying in the room together and  she said that  Tacoa and Jayson would go into the bathroom and have discussions that she was not privy to. At the time Tacoa was getting money from his mom but Samantha said to the jury, "Remember I told Tacoa where the money was kept in the house."

She said that the three drove to the campsite only to see if the whole family was there so they could go to the house to get some money. She said that they determined that the family was at the campsite. So they back to the motel, rather than the house to get the money. 

She said that later Wells signed his car over to her, so it was now hers and she drove it to Shellsburg. Talley and Samantha made plans to go to the house. Talley was gathering tools from Wells. 

She says that Talley broke into the house via her bedroom window. She climbed in, but hadn't planned to go in herself. She changed clothes while there, she said leaving her "vegas" shirt in the room. Her daughter testified earlier that it was not in the house.She said she then grabbed a gatorade and cheese stick and sat down at the table. She then spots the security camera in the light socket so she removes it. She said she was high at this time as well. 

She said that Talley told her the no one was home and he kept going in and out of Jodie's bedroom. Then Samantha spots the car keys and wallet on the counter. She said that Jodie "is" very giving and kind and likes to be generous.

Next she hears Jodie screaming. Samantha said she freezes because she's not supposed to be in the house, and she doesn't know what Jodie will say to her. She goes into the bedroom because Jodie is screaming and Talley is whispering. 

She sees Jodie laying on the bed with Talley is straddling her with his legs wrapped around her. She said that his hand was on Jodie's throat (she motioned as if he were grasping her Adam's apple, not in the usual hands around the neck way of trying to strangling someone) and his other hand was free the whole time. 

She said she asked Talley what he was doing. Then she said that when Jodie heard her voice, she told Samantha to stop him.

Then it appeared that Samantha broke down sobbing, and a break was offered to her. "No, I want them to hear this." She continued. She said that she didn't try to stop him. But tried to stop him "with my words." 

She said she went into the room, asked Talley what he was doing and supposedly when Jodie heard her voice she asked Samantha to stop him. The State's attorney objected. Samantha instantly regained her composure. "So I go in the room, he's on top of her. It's been a couple of minutes, not me in the room, but as I'm in there and see what he's doing...I knew I was in no position to stop Tacoa. I'm not only weakminded, but I was physically weak as well. I couldn't stop him. So I freaked. I didn't know what to do. Kellie had said that Jodie sleeps with a pillow between her legs. I take that pillow and  so she took that pillow and 

She continued, "I went to push down on it and I couldn't do it. I pushed down on it and I stopped. I walked out.of the room again. Tacoa was still on top of her. A couple of minutes later I come back in and I go, 'What are you doing? Why is she still laying here like this? Why is she still moving? Why is she suffering at this point?' Tacoa had eye drops in his hand and he said he gave her something."

She went on to say that Jodie was sideways on the bed, (Photoes show that she was not upon her death.)  "I don't know why I thought this, but I wanted to stop her from suffering by Tacoa. So I was going to step on the pillow, it was on top of her head (forehead), and as soon as I stepped on that pillow she threw up." Forensics did not indicate that there had been any abraisions on Jodie's forhead had such force was used there.

"I jumped off, and went out of the room. Tacoa stayed in the room from start to fiish it was about 10 minutes. I came into the room twice, and I left the room twice."

When asked, "Do you think that it was your actions that killed Jodie?" Bevans replied, "No, Abosolutely not!"

She believes that they were only there about 15 minutes. She said they exited via her bedroom window. Other witnesses testified that the front doorknob that was never locked was locked.

She said that Tacoa went out the window, then she went out the window then she heard Jodie scream.

Then she said they left and went back to the motel. 

When asked why she made the video declaring that they had killed Jodie. She gave a rambling answer that included, things like she was talking to someone on the phone, then she said she didn't know if she really did. 

She was asked again why she made the SnapChat Video saying that she killed Jodie if she still beleived that she was alive. Then she rambled on about the campground situation. Then she mentions a friend. Then she talks about conversations with Tacoa and Jayson. 

Pillow placement and action that followed/Witness recalled to stand

At the end of Bevans' testimony, a witness was recalled to the stand. Special Agent Holly Witt took the stand again and told the jury how during questioning, they had asked Bevans to demonstrate what she had done with the pillow. They used a paper towel for demonstration purposes and asked Bevans to demonstrate what had happened. 

Witt said that Bevans demonstrated putting the pillow on Jodie's face, then got up on the table and ground her foot into the paper towel to indicate what she had done to Jodie. 

Forensic Psychologist 

The State called Dr. Rosanne Jones-Thurman of Thurman Psychological LLC a forensic psychologist to testify refuting the idea that because of Samantha's history, that would not make her kill someone.  She evaluated Samantha for 2.5 hours and found no abnormalities to indicate that Samantha had any sort of physical or mental defects.

Nor was she impulsive and didn't appear to have issues with cognitive ability. She indicated that meth use might cause psychosis or a bipolar disorder swinging from feeling really high followed by feeling depressed.

She expressed rational behavior and no diminished cognitive ability irrational and executive function behavior when she talked about the campsite. She explained that battered women syndrome does not affect that kind of behavior, but only affects relationships and no decreased responsibility.

Tomorrow's Agenda

Tomorrow the court will adjourn at noon. There will be closing statements and jury instructions will be read. If there is time the jury will begin deliberation. If not, they will reconvene on Monday.