Live Wire - WMUR Ernie Willis Trial Day 1

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Victim Takes Stand In Willis Rape Trial

News 9's Amy Coveno Providing Updates From Court
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Good Afternoon. Christina Anderson is now telling the jury and a packed courtroom in Concord how she informed Ernest Willis that she was pregnant. She requested to talk with him in a public place, so they met at a restaurant in the Concord area.
by Amy Coveno / WMUR Staff at Monday, May 23, 2011 12:02:33
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We are in Courtroom 1 of Superior Court in Concord. Christina Anderson is now testifying that she told her friend Sarah Harrison about the rapes and the pregnancy and Sarah agreed to go with her to tell her mom about the pregnancy.
David Hurlburt/WMUR Staff David Sakowich/WMUR Staff Amy Coveno / WMUR Staff
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Christina Anderson is 29 years old now and is married. She has three young children and lives in Arizona. She testified that she has a masters degree in education and is an on-line tutor. The daughter she gave up for adoption is now 12 years old and is not aware of the circumstances of her adoption or of this trial.
Tina Anderson
by Kevin Clay/Staff at Monday, May 23, 2011 12:05:59
http://livewire.wmur.com/Event/Victim_Takes_Stand_In_Willis_Rape_Trial?Page=0[6/28/2011 4:01:38 AM]
Ernest Willis, the defendant, is being represented by Donna Brown, she is the defense attorney who represented Christopher Gribble during his insanity trial for the Mont Vernon Murder trial.
Ernest Willis was 39 years old at the time of the assault. He has plead guilty to one count of felonious sexual assault but denies that the encounter was forcible and denies a secound assault ever occured.
"At one point, she asked me if I enjoyed it," testified Christina Anderson when she told Pastor Phelps and other church officials about the assault and the pregnancy.
Pastor Chuck Phelps is expected to testify. Christina is now describing how she ended up staying at the Phelps home during her pregnancy and was forced to admit to the entire congregation that she was one percent responsible for allowing a 'compromising situation'. Ms. Anderson is now crying on the stand.
Anderson is now reading from the book of Deuteronomy in the Bible verse 22, 23, 24 about how if a virgin lies with a man and doesn't scream out she should be stoned. She says Pastor Phelps had her read this passage after telling him she was pregnant and named Ernest Willis as the father.
Christina Anderson is testifying that she was expelled from school and kept isolated from her family during her pregnancy.
Christina Anderson says she was made to write a statement that "Chuck"(Pastor Phelps) was going to read to the congregation, it was apologizing for allowing a compromising situation to occur.
Ms. Anderson is now describing the discipline service. Ernie apologized for being unfaithful to his wife. Then Anderson says Pastor Phelps said, "now whe have a completely different situation to deal with" and Anderson read her statement about a compromising situation.
Anderson was sent to Colorado for the duration of her pregnancy despite her begging to go stay with her grandparents but she was denied and sent to live with strangers. The Landrys were a family that Chuck Phelps knew when he was a pastor in Colorado.
Tina Anderson says Ernie Willis paid for her plane ticket to Colorado. Her mother flew out to Colorado with her and stayed a day or two. Tina says the Landrys were very kind to her but didn't talk a lot. She says she felt lonely.
Tina Anderson is now describing how she was asked to choosed from the profiles of three anonymous families where her baby would go for adoption.
Tina is now testifying that she was forced to write a letter to Ernest Willis' wife apologizing for betraying her trust. Tina was a babysitter for the Willis' four children and 15 at the time of the sexual assault that impregnated her. Ernest Willis has admitted to being the father of the child- a girl who was put up for adoption immediately after her birth and Lutheran Medical Center in Colorado.
Counsel is having a sidebar with the judge. The jury has been advised by the judge that they can stand up and stretch during these sidebars. The jury is comprised of 6 women and 8 men- 2 are alternates. This trial is expected to last several days.
Christina Anderson is now identfying photographs being shown to her by the prosecution. They are photos of her in the hospital, holding the baby. The Defense it appears objected to these photos being presented to the jury- the judge announced their position is 'preserved' for the record. The jury is now looking at the photos.
Court is adjourning for lunch once every juror has viewed the photos.
We are signing off until 1:30 when court will re-convene. The jury is being reminded to refrain from talking about the case.
We are back inside Courtroom 1 here at Superior Court in Concord. Prosecutor Wayne Coull tells me he thinks he'll rest his case by Wednesday- then the defense will present their case. Most are confident that the jury will have the case for deliberation before the weekend.
During the lunch recess I spoke with Jocelyn Zichterman who founded the Independent Fund Baptist Cult Surviviors Facebook Group. She is the one who contacted Concord Police about Tina Anderson's whereabouts that re-opened the case against Ernest Willis. Zichterman says 25 to 30 church sex abuse survivors from
around the country are here in the courtroom to offer moral support to Tina- Zichterman says this is the first time victims have banded together in a case like this.
Tina Anderson is seated in the front row chatting with Jocelyn Zichterman as we wait for the trial to reconvene. Tina will take the stand to continue her testimony in a few moments.
Judge Larry Smukler is presiding over this case. He has just taken his place at the bench and is conferring with the attorneys.
Tina Anderson is taking her place back in the witness box. We are waiting for the jury to arrive. Testimony will continue until 4 pm.
Wayne Coull is continue his direct examination of Tina Anderson who says she spent two days with the baby before the adoptive parents took the child home.
Several supporters in the courtroom are wearing the color teal green- which they say is symbolic of survivors of sexual abuse.
Tina Anderson is testifying that she moved back to NH despite not wanting to and lived with her mother and went back to services at Trinity Baptist Church but was expelled from their school so she was home school.
Tina then went off to college -Maranatha Bible College in Wisconsin where one of the Deans advised her to 'keep her mouth shut' about what happened to her.
Tina is now testifying about the media crush surrounding her. She ultimately agreed to a single exclusive interview with 20/20 saying she just wanted to be left alone and chose 20/20 because they are 'investigative'. She turned down Oprah, The Today Show, GMA, and most recently CNN.
Tina says she does not have a relationship with her mother at this time. She believes her mother did exactly what she was told to do by Pastor Chuch Phelps.
Tina is testifying about how she would see Ernie Willis in church after she returned to NH from giving birth and
surrendering her baby for adoption.

Tina says that she had no idea people were looking for her while she was in Colorado.
Defense Attorney Donna Brown is now leading the cross examination of Tina Anderson.
Donna Brown is asking Tina about the sex abuse allegations regarding her step father Danial Leaf. Tina testifies that she was aware her mother filed a police report but says she believes her mother told police that she was lying about being molested and only filed the report because she was a 'mandatory reporter' and didn't want to 'get in trouble'.
Attorney Brown is now using a large white tablet and easel to sketch out the chain of events of when and who Tina told about the pregnancy.
Donna Brown is asking about the report of the pregnancy to her friend and her mother on October 7, 1997 and her subsequent visit to the doctor within a couple of days.
Defense is now asking about Tina's last menstrual cycle from 14 years ago. Tina says she can't remember but she does remember telling 'Ernie' about her pregnancy sometime in August.
Tina Anderson is now losing patience with the Defense Attorney Donna Brown, saying "I understand what you are doing and it's wrong." They are arguing about the timeline of when Tina told Ernie about the pregnancy and how long she took to tell her friend and her mother.
Tina says, " you are insinuating that I'm lying and it frustrates me."
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Victim Takes Stand In Willis Rape Trial

News 9's Amy Coveno Providing Updates From Court
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News 9's Amy Coveno is providing live updates from the trial of Ernest Willis, who is accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl, who was a fellow church member. The alleged victim, Tina Anderson, took the stand today. We will not have live video of the testimony.
Kirk Enstrom/Staff Kevin Clay/Staff David Hurlburt/WMUR Staff David Sakowich/WMUR Staff Amy Coveno / WMUR Staff
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Tina is being asked about which restaurant she met Ernie Willis in to inform him of the pregnancy. It was on or around August 22, 1997.
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Donna Brown is asking if Tina continued to babysit after the assaults, Tina says only once or twice, but that her memory is fuzzy as it was 14 years ago.
Atorneys are now having a sidebar with the judge. Tina seems exasperated with the Defense line of questioning.
Court is in a brief recess.

The defense just asked a couple of follow up questions. Now Prosecutor Wayne Coull is leading the re-direct. He asks Tina if she has ever been married to Ernie Willis- she says no.
Tina says Ernie apologized to her after the driving lesson that ended in her sexual assault and that he promised it would never happen again so she continued to take driving lessons from him.
Ernie Willis has admitted to one sexual encounter with Tina Anderson when she was 15 but says it was not forcible.
Tina Anderson is emotional and says she is trying to hold in her tears but it's difficult. Tina has been excused from the stand.
Sara Harrison is now being sworn in. She is a friend of Tina's. Sara lives in Pembroke NH with her two sons who are 17 and 15. Sara is disabled due to a bicycle accident- she was hit by a car in August 2007.
Sara testifies that Tina babysat for her.

Sara is testifying about the evening that Tina came to her to tell her about what happened. Sara says Tina was crying a lot and struggled to get her words out.
Sara is explaining how she and Tina sat down with Tina's mother to tell he she was pregnant. Sara said that she had to tell Tina's mother because Tina was so shaken up. Sara says Pastor Phelps was at the meeting as well. Pastor Phelps took Tina and her mom from Sara's home back to their home.
Sara Harrison has been excused. The judge is now having a sidebar with the attorneys.
Court is back in session after the final break of the day. Susan Capucci is now on the stand. She is Sara Harrison older sister. She works at that Concord YMCA child development program. She is a lead teacher there. She's been married 24 years. She used to teach at Trinity Christian School for 13 years. And she knew Tina Anderson ( nee Dooley)
Susan Capucci is testifying that she called Pastor Phelps when her sister Sara Harrison called for advice about Tinawho was visibly upset and didn't want to go home.
Susan Capucci is testifying about Tina's 1997 'apology' to the congregation in front of a couple of hundred peopleadmitting to being pregnant and saying 'sorry' for allowing a compromising situation.
No cross examination of Susan Capucci. She is excused. The
fourth witness of the day is now being called.

Now Christine Leaf is being sworn in. She is Tina's mother. She lives in Tilton NH and is 50 years old. She is married to Daniel Leaf. She was a member of the Trinity Baptist Church in Concord but has recently transferred to a church closer to her Tilton home.
"Tina's younger," says Christine, " she's my baby."

Christine is telling the court that her husband served 7 years in prison for sexual assault.
"I only support the truth, not a lie," said Christine Leaf about not believing her daughter's claims that she was raped by Ernie Willis.
Christine Leaf is answering the prosecution's questions about her husband's criminal history. She tells the court they lived in section 8 housing Concord Gardens in 1997. She was doing clerical work for the state.
Christine is now answering questions about Pastor Chuck Phelps. She says he was one of the leaders of the church. She says it was her idea to move her pregnant daughter out to Colorado.
Christine Leaf says her daughter 'gave her a hard time'. She was 'stubborn'. Christine admits her daughter had good grades and says she was not aware of any boyfriends or dating.
thank you so much, Amy Coveno, for providing us with updates on the Ernie Willis trial!
by Teresa at Monday, May 23, 2011 15:45:09
Christine Leaf says it was HER idea to move Tina to Colorado. Prosecutor says, Tina didn't want to go. Christine says I wanted what was best for her.
@ Teresa. You are most welcome.

Is the mom testifying for the prosecution or the defense ?

by KP at Monday, May 23, 2011 15:49:14
She has been called by the state. The defense will have the opportunity to cross examine her, if they wish.
Christine Leaf emphatcially says she did the right thing sending her daughter to Colorado. She holds up Tina Anderson's success now as an adult as proof. She says her daughter is a college graduate with a master's degree, married a 'wonderful' man and has three children of her own now.
Christine Leaf says it was Tina's choice to give the baby up for adoption, if she had her way her daughter would have kept the baby. Tina is crying hard in the courtroom now, this is clearly difficult for her.
For Much of this testimony it appears Christine Leaf is addressing the jury directly. Many Tina Anderson supporters are openly weeping.
Christine Leaf testifies that Ernie Willis paid for the flight to Colorado and says she doesn't know why, 'maybe he felt guilty'.
Can you make any comment about how the jury is responding or their facial expressions during testimony?
by Leah at Monday, May 23, 2011 16:04:19
Court has adjourned for the day. They will reconvene tomorrow at 9 am. We are signing off for now.
@ Leah, the jury is attentive and non expressive. They are listening closely. They apparently expressed some concern to the court about the intense media coverage and wanted reassurance that they will remain anonymous, which of course they will,for the duration of the proceeding.
Thanks, Amy! And thanks to everyone for joining.

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Victim Takes Stand In Willis Rape Trial

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surrendering her baby for adoption.

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Victim Takes Stand In Willis Rape Trial

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by Kevin Clay/Staff at Monday, May 23, 2011 14:54:19

Court is in a brief recess.

http://livewire.wmur.com/Event/Victim_Takes_Stand_In_Willis_Rape_Trial?Page=1[6/28/2011 4:02:51 AM]

Sara testifies that Tina babysat for her.

No cross examination of Susan Capucci. She is excused. The

http://livewire.wmur.com/Event/Victim_Takes_Stand_In_Willis_Rape_Trial?Page=1[6/28/2011 4:02:51 AM]

fourth witness of the day is now being called.

"Tina's younger," says Christine, " she's my baby."

@ Teresa. You are most welcome.

Is the mom testifying for the prosecution or the defense ?

http://livewire.wmur.com/Event/Victim_Takes_Stand_In_Willis_Rape_Trial?Page=1[6/28/2011 4:02:51 AM]

Thanks, Amy! And thanks to everyone for joining.

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