7/26/74

The Trial

The trial had been been postponed for three months at that point due the crappy justice system. April thirtieth was going to be day for the Zack Mars trial. Audrey, Jackson, Carolina and Julian were at the trail. Julian was going to testify on the behalf of Cheyenne Reese. Even though there was no point because the tape had wrapped it all up. It was held in the Lake County courthouse. Carolina was three days past her due date. It was April thirtieth 1975 Zack was brought into the courtroom in handcuff and a blue suit with a a blue tie. He walked into and sat down at a table next to his lawyers. Zack looked at the four teenagers sitting next to the Reese family. He gave them the death stare. Then Zack looked at the judge. The judge looked at Zack then looked out into the crowd. Then she looked at the Reeses with condolences then he banged her gambell. The judge was a woman of color. She was black with black hair that was turning grey. She had bright red lipstick on that made her dead brown eyes pop with a hint of life. She looked cold and unforgiving in her black robe. "First witness, Julian Donnell to the stand." Julian was wearing a tan suit and a very colorful tie. His shoes came to a point at the end and he had white socks on. Julian sat in the witness chair and faced the courtroom. He put his right hand on the bible and swore to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. Sitting in chair, Julian was pretty tense, his sweaty hands were clenched between his knees and he started to sweat. "Where were you on the night of July 26, 1974," a lawyer from the a male prosecutor asked Julian. Julian licked his lips and replied "At my girlfriend's party hosted at Zack Mars's property."

"Did you know Cheyenne Reese."

"Yes."

"Were you close with her?"

"Yes. She was one of my best friends."

"Do you recall seeing her an hour before she disappeared."

"Yes. In fact, I saw her get murdered."

"How."

Julian took a deep breath and looked down at Carolina. A tear fell from her eye and she whipped it away quickly. Julian looked back at procustor and recounted the events that happened that night, "I was talking with Cheyenne in the deep in the forest on Zack Mars's property, about my future as a father because I was terrified to be a father. Then after 30 minutes Cheyenne and I heard rustling in the bushes. We both assumed it was a animal, but after a couple of minutes I heard gunshots," Julian took a pause and shed a tear but wiped it away quickly then continued his statement. "Three gunshots that made me duck to the ground. I assumed that Cheyenne ducked too, but I saw blood coming from her. Then I saw Zack Mars coming up the path. He had a gun in his hands, but I was so confused. Afterwards Zack explained to me his made up reality he created in his head about how Cheyenne was in love with him. The he told me if I told anyone that he would've killed me and the mother of my child. I finally came to authorities recently because I had finally worked up the courage. With the help of Sheriff Jones I have on tape Zackary Mars confessing to the murder." The procustor played the recording. The court room was very quiet, the only sound was Julian and Zack's voices on the recording. Cheyenne's mother started to bawl when she heard Zack say "I took care of everything." She stormed out of the courtroom and her husband followed her.

After the tape had done, the defense had to do their cross examination. The defense attorney looked at Julian in his eyes and gave him a big smile, "Hello Julian." Julian was shocked that the attorney was nice, he replied saying "Hello Sir."

"So, Julian Donnell, why didn't you go to authorities when you saw the murder of Cheyenne Reese."

"Zack, threatened my life and the life of the mother of my child. I was terrified."

"Terrified huh, would you say that night Zack Mars wasn't the same person he normally was after the murders."

"That night he was psychopath."

"Would you say that Zack Mars was acting insane?"

"Without a doubt."

"Would you say that Zackary is, bipolar and/or insane."

"Yes, without a doubt."

"Thank you, Mr. Donnell. That will be all." Julian walked down to his seat next to Carolina and Jackson. The defense attorney went on about how if Zackary is insane or had a mental disorder that's the reason why he killed Cheyenne because he wasn't treated. Afterwards, the courtroom gt quiet. Then the defense attorney called Zackary to the stand.

Zack was crammed in the witness stand because he was so big. He looked at his attorney. His attorney started to ask questions. "Mr. Mars, where were you the night of July 26, 1974 around 12 in the morning." Zack looked at Julian and said "Murdering Cheyenne Reese." The whole crowd gasped but the banged her gamble and the crowd became quiet. Even the attorney was flabbergasted because Zackary had went off script.

"Uh. Um. Why did you kill Cheyenne Jane." asked the attorney.

"She lied to me and broke my heart." Zack said.

"How did she break your heart."

"She lead me on and then she told me that she was never in love with me she was in love with Jackson."

"How did she lead you on?"

"She gave me those eyes, you know.... You would only understand if you were me, but when kissed her and I told her that her we could run away together, she called me crazy and told me she loved Jackson and she always did, so I just killed her, you know. It was such an-"

"That'll be all Zackary." Zack got up and started to speed walk towards Julian. Zack started to yell at Julian how he was an asshole and Julian didn't say anything. Police officers grabbed zackary and took him out of the room. There wasn't any time for a cross examination and the percussion had basically won the case, but the judge made the percussion and the defense make closing statements. The percussion had made the case that Zackary Mars was a crazy killer who deserved the death penalty because he took away a sweet innocent girl's life. The defense however made a very strong case about how Zackary was crazy and how he deserved to be treated in facility for his issues.

    Once the jury had come up with a final decision a woman with blonde hair that was curled and in a pan suit stood up behind from the jury. She held a card "Zachary Mars was a seventeen years of age when he murdered Cheyenne Reese. In January though he turned eighteen so he is going to be charged as an adult. Us the jury has decided that Zachary Weston Mars is sentenced to death by lethal injection." The judge banged her gambell one more time and said "Zachary Mars will be sent to San Quentin State Prison-" Carolina stood up and there was a noise of water hitting the ground. Everyone in the courtroom gasped except for Zack. "MY WATER BROKE"