Julie_Hayden's Blog

Two days worth of motions hearings in the Aarone Thompson case began today,  She's the 6 year old Aurora girl whose parents reported her missing in 2005.  Very quicky, police suspected they killed her and hid the body,  The investigation into that revealed horrific allegations of child abuse involving the seven other children living in the home.

Shelly Lowe, the step mother, died.  And Aaron Thompson, Aarone's father.,. was eventually indicted by a grand jury on 60 counts.... including Aarone's death and a variety of child abuse charges.

Although some information was revealed in the indictnment, a lot of if has been under seal.  Some new details today.  Prosecutors say the kids all talk about being beaten with a belt, baseball bat and electrical cord,... and of being locked in a closet for punishment.  Prosecutors also say the children were so afraid of Lowe and Thompson that they lied for them about Aarone's disappearance at first.... and that it took a long time for them to open up about just went on in that house.

Its going to be a hugely complicated trial.... and it became clear today that they will almost certainly postpone the November start date.   Thompson faces 60 counts.... and jurors will have to sort out which abuse information involves which child.  Defense attorneys wanted to have separate trials for allegations involving each child... but the judge said no.   the DA has endorsed 475 potential witnesses.... there are tens of thousands of pages of discovery,... thousands of pages of grand jury testimony and hours and hours of videotaped testimony.

Shelly Lowe died.... and it looks like a possible defense strategy could be to try to pin all the blame on her.

I can't help but think... law enforcement spent three years and who knows how much money investigating... prosecuting and defending Thompson.  How much better to have spent some of the money up front... and protect the children in that home.,. in the first place.