48 Hours Mystery: Point Blank

Did A Man's Obsession With His Wife Lead To His Death?

(CBS)  The story was originally broadcast on May 17, 2008. It was updated on March 21, 2009.

On Oct. 15, 2003, police were called to the Brownsville, Texas, home of Scott and Traci Rhode. Inside, in the couple's bed, lay Scott with a gunshot wound to the head.

That morning, Traci says she rose early, went for a walk, took a shower, and then heard a moaning sound. It was then, she says, that she discovered her husband was wounded. Scott was still alive, but later died at the hospital.

Traci maintains Scott shot himself, but authorities charge she is a cold-blooded killer with a motive for murder.

---

Life, as Traci knew it, ended that October day. As Scott lay dying, Traci's ordeal was only just beginning. "I was shocked when they asked me to go to the police station. I had already told them all that I knew that had happened. I mean, I wasn't there, I didn't see it, I didn't hear it. I only know what I found," Traci tells correspondent Harold Dow.

"I moved the pillow back and I saw all the blood and his eye was all swollen and I touched his face and said 'Scott, can you hear me,'" Traci told police in a taped interview.

"So, I kept asking the police officers, 'Please let me go be with my husband. He's dying.' 'Can I please tell my children? My children don't know what happened,'" Traci remembers. "'Just a few more minutes and we'll let you go.'"

By mid-afternoon, it was clear Scott was brain dead and would not recover.

And something else was clear too: "These people think that I harmed the man I had loved for 20 years of my life, that I spent my life with… it's not even a possibility," she says.

Traci says she can barely remember a time without Scott. They met in their early teens and became high school sweethearts in Ft. Madison, Iowa.

The couple married in 1990, only a few years after Traci graduated high school. Scott put himself through college and became an engineer; Traci would go on to become a nurse, specializing in birth and delivery care.

The couple had three sons, Shane, Nicholas and Dalton.

The Rhodes seemed to be the picture-perfect family, with Scott being the picture-perfect dad. But Traci says there was another side to Scott which was slowly destroying their marriage: she says he was very jealous and often accused her of having affairs.

"He was obsessed. She was almost like a possession," notes Raina Kant, who along with her husband Kyle, has been close friends of the Rhodes for years. "She would always tell me that Scott was saying she was cheating and having an affair with the different doctors that she worked with."

Kant says there was no way Traci had an affair with any of these doctors.

But there was no convincing Scott, says Traci. She remembers one awful night when she had to stay a few hours late at work to help deliver a baby. "I get home, my husband's not there. My kids aren't there. As I'm calling the emergency room thinking the worst, I hear the garage door open and I go running out to the garage. 'What happened? What happened? Is everybody OK?' And he's screaming at me, 'You tramp. You whore. Where the hell have you been?' And he said he went looking for me so he could show our children what a tramp they had for a mother. And I lived like that for years."

Traci says she stayed in the marriage because she loved Scott. "As bad as our bad times were there were still good times. He was the father of my children. He was my husband. To me, it was worth working out," she says.

But according to Traci, Scott didn't make things any easier. She says Scott was so afraid of losing her to another man he moved the family five times in 13 years. There would be stops in Maryville, Tenn., Kennett, Mo., and Batesville, Ark. They finally ended up in Brownsville, Texas in 2003.

It was in Brownsville, far away from friends and family, that Traci really did meet somebody. His name was Shawn Michaels, a co-worker.

One afternoon they arranged to meet in a parking lot to talk. "We just stood there talking and then he gave me a hug to leave and he kissed me. I was shocked, but yet it was good to have somebody pay attention to me," she remembers.

And then, one week later, Scott confronted Traci in their bathroom, once again accusing her of cheating. In the heat of the moment Traci blurted out her feelings for Shawn.

"And I said for the first time in my life, there is somebody. And it's not about sex. Somebody is paying attention to me," she says. "He was very upset, and he just looked right through me and said 'You have no idea what you've just done.'"

But police didn't buy any of Traci's story. The truth, they say, is that she committed cold blooded murder.

[carboss93]

DID SHE APPEL I MIST WHAT IT SAID AT THE END

[smueabs]

Yes, she''s appealing, but I think that''s kind of interesting seeing that she could face another trial if the verdict is overturned

[smueabs]

I agree about the crying... she seemed to be faking that. Also, why would he put a pillow over his head? Why would he kill himself the DAY after telling her he was seeking custody of the children? The man may have been controlling and paranoid like their friends said, but she still managed to sneak around with another man. The one thing she has in her favor is that he was alive when she called 911, so it was treated as an emergency situation and not a crime scene. As police and paramedics came in and out, the scene was compromised. The one thing that shocked me was that she didn''t perform first aid. She claimed to be "in shock," but, as a nurse, she has probably seen worse situations. If my mother or boyfriend were in a similar state, I would do anything to save him or her, despite the blood and shcok. The evidence is lacking, but the motive is crystal clear: she knew he would drag her through nasty custody hearings and she just wouldn''t have it.

[shrimpstew]

Why in the world would she appeal? Take the probation and run! Sixty years in a jail cell is a lot worse than an eight o''clock curfew! I agree about the nonexistent tears.

[smueabs]

What about the palm print on the gun? That was never explained. They said it wasn''t hers, his or the detective''s.

[kai1288]

I am just getting so sick and tired of the substandard, lazy manner in which the police handles potential crime scenes, and go about collecting evidence. It''s high time that better, stricter procedures be undertaken at the onset of anything that remotely appears to be a crime (suicide, accident, seizures etc). Photographs need to be taken (let a photographer drive around with paramedics--perhaps an intern) right away; paper gowns and shoes should be worn by the investigators; complete fingerprinting should be done EVERYWHERE; testing for gunshot residue should be done on everyone in the vicinity of the crime; different crime scenarios should be created and studied; plus more. I mean it is no wonder that many people go free because of a lack of substantial evidence THAT MAKES SENSE--is missing, or innocent people go to prison because of overwhelming false, circumstantial evidence. This really has to stop. Increasingly, jurors appear confused, or worse, they make decisions based on their own personal feelings rather than on the basis of facts, only to read about some innocent person being freed after 30 years in jail. The justice system is just topsyturvey and needs a major overhaul. We simply should not put up with this slipshod way of solving crimes.

And no, my opinion isn''t derived from watching too much CSI.

[tomcrews1]

WHAT A TRAVESTY! This is another example of a woman getting away with murder. Typical lame Texas jury. The same state that found a woman who murdered 5 babies in a bathtub not guilty of anything! And these holier than thou types talk about backward practices in Arab countries. Paleez. The only country in the world that a person can be convicted of 1st degree murder and serve 3 days in jail b/c "nothing can bring the man back...that woman done belongs with her chillren." Pathetic backward rubes down there.

[armortiz2005]

Her and her boyfriend probably planned it together.She probably hit him in the eye with the gun-while he was asleep,drops the gun and holster,realizing she couldn''t do it, that ;s why blood was on the end of the gun and on the floor by the bed,but it didn''t kill him, so she takes a shower while her boyfriend finished it off shooting him in the head using a pillow.And he takes off.Ten days later they talk about the murder at the hotel and probably make plans to stay away from eachother till things cool down.Could they still get the boyfriend for the murder?Investigaters should have checked the phone calls made around that time to see if she called him to finish it off.The blood stain said ALOT to ME. Very upsetting true story.

[tbweb]

I can prove that the Republicans are making fools out of the Blacks.

Posted by truthyness at 01:43 AM : May 18, 2008,,,

Posters like you are lost, off course, drowning in your own misguided racial hatred and need to find a way back to sanity! Posters like you are out of balance and have lost your American way! Posters like you should measure these candidates and their Party platforms by American standards, American criteria, American goals and on issues that affect and impact American life. Life is too short, discussing candidates who don''t rise to the level of being true Americans is a waste of time, if these candidates commit the offenses you speak of or do deeds that offend, then ignore them, don''t vote for them, you keep them alive by discussing them, you breath life into them and their campaigns by always talking about them. You are a form of unpaid advertising for them, the best way to make them go away is to ignore them, they will die off from their own negative weight. The expression "cream rises to the top applies", the best will take care of itself.

[mistermal1]

This sort of verdict could only happen in Brownsville. This type of compromised investigation is par for the course in Brownsville. If you want verdicts that will leave you shaking your head, Brownsville''s your town. If you want to see police, sheriff, and city government knee-deep in corruption, head on down to this border town. No real surprises in this case, not to the locals at least.

[drdavedmd]

People!!!!! Wake up and smell the coffee, will you????? This case is far from a maytery.... to me, and to everyone who has half a brain, this is murder in the first degree, period. I would NOT have even filed into the jury room to deliberate.... I would have just looked at each of the jury members and gave them a nod to throw her in prison for the rest of her life.

I can guarantee that Traci''s relationship with her new boyfriend was sexual. They just agreed to tell the police that it wasn''t sexual and that they were just hanging around together.... yeah, right.... just hanging around together makes her have a motive to kill her husband..... yeah, OK.....

[drdavedmd]

There is also a couple of facts that point to murder....I see other people already picked up the fact about the pillow.... NO ONE in their right mind is going to take a pillow, then aim a gun to their head, and then pull the trigger. That''s stupidity beyond belief.

Secondly, Traci said the gun was found in both of her hands. This can''t be true. Someone killing themselves with a small pistol is NOT going to be holding a pistol like that with both hands and pull the trigger. The gun also has to be facing towards their face. This was implicating her immediately. If he shot himself, with the one hand, then how can he end up with the gun in both hands. Doesn''t make sense. A physical impossibility. This jury was out to lunch on this one.

Also, if someone was going to kill themselves,and they wanted to try and not let anyone know, putting a pillow over their head is NOT going to silence the gun... sorry.... that''s idiotic.

And why would he put a pillow over his head, only to run the risk of missing, ''cause he can''t see where he''s aiming! Is this retarded????? I wouldn''t believe Traci a split second. SHe''s a cold blooded murderer.

[drdavedmd]

Also, why would he end his life if he wanted to go to court and get full custody of the kids???? Yeah..... that makes sense.... a guy tells his lady that they are going to court to fight for the kids, and he ends up dead??? Yeah, right.....

Yeah.... and then ten days later, they meet in the hotel room... you know... just to chat... they had *** people.... you don''t pay for a hotel night just to talk and see how they are... they mut be talking about how proud they are to get awaty with cold blooded murder.....

And please don''t tell me that this new boyfriend had finally hit a home run, after the murder... he banged her much earlier, and they just had to play it cool so it would NOT arise any suspicion.

You''ll see.... one day, when it doesn''t work out, there will be a confession to something down the road... I hope the appeal fails and Traci is sent to prison for the rest of her life.... murderers should NOT get away with it..... an innocent life was taken away.... so should hers.....

[davegrant6]

Using the information from the program last night , I can see that the police and medics seriously comprimised the crime scene. (I watch a lot of the CSI programs, lol) I think a lot of evidence should have been thrown out of court. I believe that the jury verdict was wrong, there wasn''t enough evidence to convict this woman. However, I don''t believe that she can prove she is innocent either and I would hope that she would drop her appeal and live with the results. She is taking a risk that is not worth it.
There was a case in our town where the woman killed her newborn and they offered her a minimum sentence due to other circumstances. She decided to do better with a jury and as a result has spent the last thirty years in prison and they still won''t let her out. She had admitted the crime all along. While this is not an exactly similiar situation the point is that sometimes you have to take your losses and move on. I had a friend who committed suicide thirty years ago and it made no sense whatever. Scott may have killed himself because he wanted to punish her while not wanting to lose her. He may have tried to frame her for his murder or just couldn''t stand the emotional pain of the conflict. Suicide often makes no sense to the facts. We didn''t hear anything about the gun which would have been interesting information. So I can see both guilt and innocents but I believe that Traci should not appeal this verdict.

[johnhanne]

Sometimes ya'' need to drain the sludge from the bottom of the pool.....gene pool that is. Tho'' I have observed this is often an automatic societal function. Ahh- regression to the mean!

[drbobalee]

As I drive around my beautiful western state, I notice bumper stickers that read "Don''t mess with Texas". Don''t worry, we wont. Texas messes with itself enough! Absolutely ridiculous! "It''s OK, you''re a murderer but your kids want you so forget about any jail time". P.S. Please keep Bush to yourselves.

[what-about]

I think all first responders should carry a digital camera with them to every call that they get and document the scene. Good digital cameras have a setting that will take 40 pictures in about 20 seconds then it stores them, and then the first responders can go on to saving the persons life. The context of the crime scene was compromised, so most of the evidence should not be used. How did she walk into the bathroom to take a shower without seeing her husband, but heard him moan in the bedroom while taking a shower? Would she not smell the fired gun or blood, she%u2019s a nurse. Did she leave the house to go get cleaned up at her friend home? Maybe the husband was right, do a DNA test on the children to see if they were his or someone else%u2019s.

[tomcrews1]

How can somebody hold a pillow to their own head while holding a gun to their head and then shoot themselves holding the gun with both hands?

Obviously, she''s guilty. The jury saw that. They just didn''t want her to suffer any CONSEQUENCES for the killing. How is that different fron the way any other woman is treated in any other situation? Women are NEVER TO HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS PERIOD. That''s just the way it is in America. That''s the way it always will be. Get used to it.

I believe you are innocent

[lsbrooks721]

Did Traci''s friends, the husband who used to be Scott''s boss, and wife testify at the trial. I felt their input was important. I have been married to a man like this...who is obsessed with you, changes moods quickly, thinks you are having an affair with anyone you talk to or look at. After I left him, with much domestic violence, he remaiired 2 more times, before commiting suicide. He was a deputy sheriff. I believe Traci is innocent. People who have not lived with someone like this don''t understand how they think.

[melabling]

Traci...I do hope you read these. Could it be that on your little 4:45 am walk, you met up with your boyfriend, oops sorry, your friend...gave him the gun, went home and while you were in the shower, he shot your Hubby...wonder why no one has ever thought of that. Whatever happened Traci, ever fiber of my being believes that you had something to do with his murder. Bless his heart, you drove him crazy...you were constantly cheating on him and you werent a good MOM. You didn''t want to lose this battle! You knew he had no family to fight for him on his behalf. Now all of America knows what you did...

[gabyxoxo]

So, all a woman has to do is cry a lot for people to feel too guilty to assign a punishment for murder??
W.O.W.

Traci''s own words show her guilt. She said that she and her husband had a HUGE fight the night of the murder but went to bed "happily" agreeing to try to work things out. Now, people commit suicide in one of two ways. Either in the midst of a breakdown or rage rather impulsively (which means Scott would have pulled the trigger on himself when he and Traci were having their "knock down, drag out" fight) or in a planned, perpared kind of way which gives a person time to say their goodbyes. Especially to beloved children.

Now, WHY would a man that LOVES his three kids, wake up from a peaceful sleep and decide to kill himself AT THAT MOMENT? Why then? And did he go to bed with the gun under his pillow? Or did he have to get up and get it from somewhere and then lay back down to commit suicide in what has to be the most ackward position?

How convenient for Traci that she decided to go for a jog at 4:30 am and then take a shower. Was this unusual timing typical of her daily routine? I doubt it.

Poor Scott. He had his demons both from his birth family and then with Traci. How unfortunate that he was able to face down these demons all those years and then, when there was finally an end to his turmoil in sight, he decides to choose that moment to "commit suicide" and leave his kids, without a goodbye and with an immoral, cheating spouse.

[curious51]

I watched and listened to every detail of this story. At first, I was convinced that she conveniently went out for a walk @ 4:45AM, giving her no other alibi, shot her husband, and covered it to look like a suicide.
But as the events/evidence grew, such as the questionable position of the gun in the blood, the feathers on the gun, along with the blood, it seemed like someone other than the wife was to blame for tampering with evidence!
If it were me, I would have left well enough alone, taken the 10 years probation...........But, this was her decision.
Does anyone know what the end result was, was her appeal granted? Is there an update?
I was really surprised by the reaction of the Texas Ranger, as he seemed "determined" to make HER pay for the crime, regardless of the evidence!

[gabyxoxo]

Reading throught the posts, it reminds me of the fact that she said she called sick into work after she called 911. So Traci is in too much shock to do any type of first aide on her husband but she has the presence of mind to call in sick to work. WHAT?

And with regards to the pillow. The ONLY thing a pillow would do is prevent blood spatter which absolutely, positively could not be explained. Period. Nothing else. To say that he did that to muffle the sound is ridiculous!!! That wouldn''t muffle any sound! And he could just have easily went into his car of somewhere truly soundproof.

It''s just such a shame and I can''t help but think her whole "religious show" was purposeful to make her look like a kind, God fearing woman. And it makes me sick to know that it worked!!!

[smueabs]

Many of us seem to agree that her alibi doesn''t add up. I would be interested to know if a pre-dawn jog was part of her normal schedule. Also, I don''t think her case has made it through the appelate courts yet, but I''m still checking. Also, "Truthyness," you need to GET OFF THIS DISCUSSION BOARD. This board is not for political discussion. If you are so disinfranchised by the government, run for office and stop complaining.

[smueabs]

One more thing: as a Texan, I am extremely embrassed that 12 of my fellow residents would give that woman probabtion. Everyone who said this was a travesty of justice is completely right. I''m shocked that they took the words of her children over the words of HIS family. Did they testify in the sentencing hearing? I''m sure some of his relatives did, and it is so sad that the jury didn''t take his family''s loss into account. If we based every ruling on what children feel and think, our justice system would be a disaster. Oh, wait, in Texas, it already is. Does anyone else find it funny that they could only get 2 jurors to come forward?

[paulgailhans]

I attended several days of the Traci Rhodes'' trial. The re-enactment by one of the doctors made perfect sense of the pillow being used by Scott in his suicide. Although two jurors said that sympathy for the boys led them to not give Traci prison time, other jurors have said that they immediately realized their mistake in finding her guilty. The fact that Traci had a tiny flirtation with a co-worker that developed for a while after her traumatic loss, does not make a love triangle or a murder. Everyone that has ever known her as a nurse, knows she is a woman of compassion and kindness. I hope a followup is someday done and some of the other jurors are interviewed as I know there were huge controversies over the refusal of some jurors to speak English even though the entire jury was NOT biligual. Traci deserves a free retrial and instead she is being financially drained by her efforts to get her name cleared. She will be vindicated. This is a trial that The Innocence Project should look into. Until you have lived in Texas, you cannot understand the injustice often suffered in our jails, prisons and by our legal system.

[melanie230-2009]

I watched the show last night. I don''t believe for a minute that she killed her husband. After 4 years of trying to find evidence her story never changed once. That is a very clear indication that she did not kill her husband. Another thing that I thought was very telling was her husband''s former boss was not surprised that he committed suicide. That their friends werent surprised that he committed suicide. I applaud her for filing an appeal. That is yet another clear indication that she is innocent.

[melanie230-2009]

gabyxoxo...What medical attention could she give her husband? He shot himself in the head, end of story. There is nothing she could do in that situation. As for the pillow, he probably used that pillow so that he wouldn''t see the gun pointing at his head. 4 years of never ever changing her story makes it very clear she is indeed innocent.

[khanghi-2009]

melabling:
"Bless his heart, she drove him crazy".
What, are you kidding? I suppose their friends (his BOSS)had a hand in driving him crazy, too, huh? I think he was an insecure little boy that couldn''t handle not being the center of her universe.

smueabs:
"I''m shocked they took the words of her children instead of his family".
What exactly are his children if not HIS FAMILY? Kinda simpleminded there, aren''t ya?

[rowdytexan2]

From the sound of it, the man had some serious problems...evidently testified to by the man''s boss, and their friends.

The fact that the man, made an appointment with the lawyer, threatening his wife with custody of their children shows a classic male intimidation practice. And the fact that she demonstrated she would fight it shows that she wasn''t worried about it and knew they couldn''t prove her an unfit mother.

The fact that the scene was disturbed and that they''re not even sure where the hell the gun was or had been doesn''t prove up a murder theory to me, anyway, and the prosecution didn''t have much of a leg to stand on.

If the woman wasn''t innocent, why would she try to appeal to get her name cleared. What murdering woman would risk an appeal? If she''d actually murdered him, she''d glom onto that ten years probation, sail thru it, and be glad she got off, rather than take a risk they could investigate further and find a mistake.

The good old boy network is alive and well. Of course the woman drove him crazy then murdered him, and was in fact a ***. Yeah right!

Of course when men cheat on their wives or flirt with other women, it''s just boys being boys. How many times have you heard that little ditty?

[enough7]

Where were the rest of their friends and family from any other towns? Scott was portrayed as an obsessive lunatic. Traci''s mom never once said she was worried about her daughter and grandchildren living with Scott and his erratic behaviour. The friends said they weren''t shocked Scott committed suicide. I would hope my "friends for years" would step in and help. Some of the stories Traci told are firsts for alot of people. We seen the blood soaked mattress and Scott''s lifeless hand. We seen the Red Roof Inn where 7 days later she just needed to chat with Shawn and oops it became sexual. I guess it was a really good oops, we seen him move in with Traci. To say alot of people were torn apart would be an understatement. I guess the family members we seen arrive just hours after the shooting were not the right support Traci needed. Just because Traci had a boyfriend does not make her a killer, but what does it make her that she can leave, her children horribly grieving the loss of their father, to meet her boyfriend and have sexual relations. According to Scott''s obituary, I think this happened before his funeral. (continued on next comment.)

[enough7]

Scott didn''t receive one ounce of dignity from 48 hours, from a wife who professed to love him, from a mother-in-law, or from 2 friends who just didn''t feel the need to save 3 beautiful children from a foreseen tragedy. Where is the proof the jury felt they made a mistake? Traci can have a free appeal the judge just felt she could pay for the transcripts not the taxpayers. We heard stories from just a handful of people. Until the whole story is told through an investigative news source, we can hold deep empathy for the children, they need good memories of a great dad. Enough is enough.

[roscoezzz]

The wife takes a walk at 4:00am. She comes back and takes a shower. Then, she washes her hands in front of the police. WHY?
The husband was ready to move on with his life, get a divorce and custody of the kids. WHY WOULD HE WANT TO COMMIT SUICIDE ONE DAY AFTER PLANNING TO LEAVE HER?
Her friends called the husband manic-depressive, Bi-polar and his suicide was inevitable. So, they saw this 2 or 5 or even 10 years before? Meaning, he was on the verge of suicide everyday he was married to her? Most friends would try to help, intervene or suggest therapy. Something. Anything.
By watching this wife in her interviews. She stopped loving her husband long time ago and wanted out of that marriage. But, at a price. She''s stupid to appeal. Texas Law probably won''t hear the boys testimony the next time.

[davidwg35]

I''m surprised that weaselly looking character Traci had an affair with got off so easy. I think Traci left the door open for him while she went on her 2 mile walk so he could sneak in and kill Scott. I don''t think Traci had the stomach to do it. When Traci got back from her walk she noticed her lover left the gun on the floor so she picked it up and placed it in Scott''s hands. That''s why she washed her hands afterwards. Traci was definitely involved in Scott''s death. She got away with murder and is a fool to appeal.

[calbo2-2009]

Someone correct me if I%u2019m wrong but in the police interview Traci said that she heard a moaning sound when she got out of the shower. She opened the door from the bathroom and entered the bedroom, went over to her husband and pulled the pillow from his head and noticed all the blood. What about the gun in his hand? Would she not have noticed that first?

Secondly, logic dictates that if someone shoots themselves in the head the immediate response for the arm is to collapse, which would explain the gun on the floor but the gun wasn%u2019t on the floor, it was found in both of Scott%u2019s hands.

Finally I%u2019m a little disappointed that the show did not delve more into the reasons for them moving so often. They could have spoken to more former co-workers of both Traci and Scott see if his concern about his wife%u2019s fidelity was justified.

[melanie230-2009]

rosco, if she had killed him then certainly the police would have found blood in one of the drains in the house right? They didn''t.

[melanie230-2009]

calbo She did say she saw the gun. He was laying on the left side of the bed. He was right handed. If he used his right hand when his hand dropped the gun would have landed on the bed. That is exactly where it landed. She said she saw the gun in his hand. They did speak to former friends and co workers. All said that her infidelity was nothing but rumor. In fact one of his former bosses said that he wasn''t surprised that Scott killed himself.

[truthyness]

IT''''S ALL ABOUT *MONEY* !!!

Money is pushing Hillary out of this election...

for just ONE reason,

and one reason ONLY.

HILLARY IS GOING TO TAKE THE MONEY THAT THE FILTHY

RICH HAVE BEEN STEALING FROM THE POOR FOR DECADES AND

MAKE THEM PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE!!!

THE RICH DON''''T PAY TAXES, THEY HIRE LAWYERS TO KEEP

THEM FROM PAYING TAXES.

***HILLARY IS GOING TO MAKE THE RICH PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE!!!!!

The filthy rich, the really, really rich will do,

anything, ANYTHING, to keep Hillary out of the White

House. AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE DOING!!!!

[onetwirll]

I know that you will find this hard to believe, truthyness, but the rich DO pay taxes. I cannot tell you how much I LOVE to write the government a nice 4-5 figure check every year, and I know people that pay 6 figures and up. Check your lazy, uneducated self at the door. And before you make a comment on politcs, see that you do your research first. I''ll bet you get a nice refund each and every year. Maybe you should invest that money into education for yourself instead of another lawn ornament or attachment for your trailer.

[freda260]

good one onetwirl.me people need to gather facts before they get diarhea of the mouth

[cfrilick]

My Husband died in a car accident and anyway who was noticing my behavior would have guessed I was a mental patient. Grief does that to you and anyone who has never gone through it can''t possibly imagine what a person goes through when they lose someone they love. I wouldn''t judge anyone by how they acted the minute they discovered their loved one was dead. Others shouldn''t either

[snookie16-2009]

Sounds like there are a whole lot of experts on this thread. "The gun couldn''t of...", "His hands wouldn''t of...", "No one would use a pillow...". Face it, you don''t know what you are talking about. You weren''t there. I wasn''t there. Let the people who were involved with the case give their expert opinions.

[iowanurse1]

Being from Ft. Madison, Iowa and knowing this couple personally, I watched the program with great interest. I have known Scott since grade school and his wife since high school. I do not know if she is guilty or not, but I do know that they made Scott out to be a monster on the program. My memories of Scott and Traci when they were dating in high school are that of a somewhat shy, smart guy who always had a smile on his face and of a loud-mouthed, possessive, girl who kept Scott on a very short leash and would fly into a rage whenever he spoke to another girl. Scott changed so much after meeting her. When they were first married they lived above a video store in town. Scott used to come down and rent a movie, buy a pop, or just hang out sometimes. Traci would come downstairs and start screaming at Scott asking him what the h*** he was doing and that he needed to get back upstairs. She would humiliate him in front of people all the time. Does this sound like the women portrayed in the program???? It doesn''t to me! I do understand her reason for not performing first aid...he was breathing, she couldn''t perform CPR and there is not much you can do for a gunshot wound to the head without technical equipment. This whole thing has me baffled. I also do not understand the whole "troubled family" he supposedly came from. He was an only child who was doted upon by his parents.

[johnalbert2]

Was Scott left or right handed?
Who''s gun was it?
Did they sleep in the same bed?

[johnalbert2]

Was Scott left or right handed?
Who''s gun was it?
Did they sleep in the same bed?

[davidwg35]

Hey snookie16, should the jury have not deliberated since they "weren''''t there" and aren''t "experts"? Do you withhold your opinion on everything in life because you "weren''''t there" or aren''t an "expert" on the subject? You must lead a lonely miserable life.

[drdavedmd]

Traci is more guilty than sin itself..... her own words are a complete lie..... when someone shoots themselves in the head, there is no possible way, even if both hands were on the gun at the time of the shooting, that both hands would STILL be holding the gun. This is a physical impossibility.....
Also, Scott''s fingerprints should have been all over the gun.... someone wiped off all of the prints.... and the blood.... where''s all the blood from the shot? Don''t tell me that Scott planned to put the pillow in front of his face because he did NOT want any blood splatter..... the jury got the verdict right.... the sentence, however, was completely wrong.... life in prison without the possibility of parole could have been the correct sentence.

[snookie16-2009]

davidwg: No I don''t withhold an opinion, but I make sure it is known it is an opinion. Everyone here is talking like fact. And the jury was deciding mostly based on "Expert''s" opinions. Do you really think they would have cared if you got on the stand and gave your opinion? No.

[snookie16-2009]

There is a difference between being opinionated and just liking the sound of your own voice, or in this case the sight of your own words.