Guest Entry: ritanita’s Musings About the Mark Jensen Trial

GUEST ENTRY by Ritanita!

Where Was Mark Jensen When Julie Died?

The Jensen trial is a complicated web of facts. The witnesses, presented in what seems at times to be a mix of medical witnesses, neighbors, co-workers of Mark Jensen and the infamous "snitches" is creating a fascinating story that the avid trial watcher has to "cut and paste" for themselves.

One important factor is the timeline of events the day Julie Jensen died. There has been a great deal of testimony from different witnesses as to whether or not Mark Jensen went to work on December 3, 1998. For us loyal trial-watchers, here are the various stories that have been testified to in court. To help everyone keep track, I've gone back through the records and found the following information.

The first testimony on the topic, came in with Jensen’s former co-worker and former friend David Nehring. He testified on January 10th that he had originally told Detective Ratzburg that Mark hadn’t gone to work on December 3rd. He had originally testified that Mark had been to work that day, but explained to Prosecutor Jambois that due to the pressure of the hearings, he had confused the 3rd and the 4th.

On January 18th, Aaron Dillard, a jail cellmate of Mark’s testified that Jensen told him, "The next morning her breathing was very raspy. Jensen went to work and when he came home and Julie was breathing better. Jensen told him that he was scared that she didn't die. After Jensen killed his wife he went back to work. Then he picked up the kids and brought them home from school. He made the kids wait outside."

The first witness on the stand of January 24 was first responder Lieutenant Daniel Reilly. He had been sent to the Jensen house for non-responsive female. He testified that, in his interview at the scene with Mark Jensen the evening of Julie s death, Mark told him, "On the 3rd, she was sick so he stayed home in the morning. He went to work about 12 pm. At that time, she had labored breathing, but was sleeping. He picked up the kids and came home and found Julie dead."

Finally, on January 29th, there were two witnesses who corroborated that Mark Jensen did not go to work that fateful day.

Mrs. Perez, a co-worker said that Mark wasn’t in the office at all, but that, "She did speak to him that day - he called in at around 10 or 11 am. Mark said his wife was very ill and he didn't know what to do." Another co-worker, Rosemary MacInnes said she was 99% sure she didn’t see Mark that day.

There are the stories. Now, who are we to believe? Mark Jensen’s two versions as told to others, or those told by all the other witnesses?

Thanks ritanita for giving us something to ponder!