Case Info
Courthouse: Fulton County, Georgia
Charges:
- Malice Murder – Not Guilty
- Felony Murder – Judgement Acquittal
- Verdict Rendered: 22nd August 2025
Judge: Rachel Krause
Prosecutor: ADA Vincent Faucette, ADA Brian Trepanier, ADA Simone Hylton
Defense Attorneys: Donald Samuels, Joel McDurmon
Victim: Melissa Wolfenbarger (Deceased)
Today’s Witnesses:
1. Witness #20 – Michael Sprinkle – Deputy DA
2. Witness #21 – Rosa James – IPV Consultant
3. Witness #22 – Dr. Carol Teri – Chief Medical Examiner
- Witness #20 – Michael Sprinkle – Deputy DA
- Direct Exam
a. He testifies to creating an audio file enhancing the audio of an interview where a date was not given. - No cross exam
- Direct Exam
- Witness #21 – Rosa James – IPV Consultant
- Direct Exam
a. She testifies to being a researcher and consultant regarding sexual violence, intimate partner violence and has been working in the intimate partner violence since 2012. She gives her education history.
b. She explains why she uses the word survivors instead of victims as it differentiates between those that are dead due to Domestic abuse.
c. She explains why someone would remain in an abusive relationship, she says fear plays a big part and wanting to protect their kids and family would cause them to stay.
d. She explains the power and control wheel and what each terminology means on the wheel and how it works in an IPV scenario.
e. She explains the hero component of the power and control wheel that a perpetrator uses if they have done something positive in the victims lives giving examples of taking them away from dangerous people or dangerous situations.
f. She explains what a Temporary Protective order is
g. She explains what isolation was and how perpetrators use this to control their victims. She explains this by giving an example of survivors unable to create their own community to seek support from.
h. She testified to not knowing about the case and coming in blindly so that she can explain the science of DV.
i. She testifies to an hypothetical of children being taken away from the parent. - Cross Exam
a. The defence highlights that her “abusers cant be put in a box” means that they are not one size fits all and she agrees
b. The defence highlights where the parents are abusive, and some arent but still create abusers.
c. The defence highlights that you can be abusive to children, she agrees.
d. The defence highlights that there are runaways and some suffer from PTSD and mental health issues can affect abusers, she agrees.
e. Defence asks if the root cause of abuse could be infidelity, She explains that what causes Domestic violence is related to choice made by an individual there isnt much of a root cause.
f. Defence went through the list asking her questions from the wheel, he uses hypotheticals and scenarios relating to the case.- This was to eliminate any possible inference that could be made by the jury who may look at the wheel. [My Thoughts]
g. Defense asked if people that have committed DV dont commit murders, she said yes. But couldnt answer the question of whether those that do commit murders arent in abusive relationships.
- This was to eliminate any possible inference that could be made by the jury who may look at the wheel. [My Thoughts]
- Redirect Exam
a. The state highlights being dragged on the street by the hair and markings on neck could be physical abuse
b. The state highlights about withdrawal of TPO if that could be an example of the reconciliation phase, she agrees.
c. The state highlights about giving custody of their child to the abuser if thats an example of the reconciliation phase she agrees.
- Direct Exam
- Witness #22 – Dr. Carol Teri – Chief Medical Examiner
- Direct Exam
a. She testifies that Dr. John Parker was the medical examiner that examined the remains of Melissa.
b. She testifies that her involvement with the case was from February 2000 when she was examining skulls for another case. She tried to get in testimony of her believing it was a female skull but it was objected to.
c. She testified to the documenting of the autopsy and the process that is done regarding communications with other departments regarding the autopsy.
d. She testifies to the skull being initially examined on June 1999. She testifies that the skull had fractures.
e. She testifies that the skull was somehow protected from flies or insects and hypothesises that it was likely tied in a bag as this would stop the flies from laying eggs in it which would turn to maggots.
f. She testifies that it makes it harder to determine a time of death due to it being stored in a plastic bag as it affects decomposition.
g. She testifies that there were saw cutting marks on the remains. She also testifies to not seeing any carnivorous activity on the remains.
h. She testifies that in her opinion, the cause of death was undetermined based on the remains and not recovering the torso. She testifies that she cant determine whether she was stabbed or strangled due to decomposition, dismemberment.
i. She testifies that she did not die of natural causes due to her being dismembered and remains concealed and is likely to be homicide due to the dismemberment.
j. She testifies that the dismemberment is likely due to have been done post mortem. She testifies to meeting with Norma Patton on the 18th March 2003 and collected swabs from her. She testified that the Melissa’s extremities were not swabbed but were submitted for DNA testing. - Cross Exam
a. The defense highlights that there were no copies of the xrays are still present and she testifies that she knows the xrays were there in her time but things may have updated.
b. She testified that the dental record that was used to identify Melissa was from 1991.
c. The defense highlights that something inside a bag would be warmer and affect decomposition. - Redirect Exam
She testified that the time of death could not have been determined due to the dismemberment.
- Direct Exam
Court Adjourned for the Day!
Hope you are now caught up with the substance of what happened in court on Day 5.
Thanks for reading xo
Sources:
Trial Footage, Available on Youtube via Law & Crime Trials, Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX4SHg630QI
All court filings pertaining to the trial courtesy of @Happily_Angry_Lawyer aka Jim Robichaud, Available online, PDFs: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uXAurgwIdxLj5vum-hnMkvv9ZnDSZV_M
