"You never said this to anyone before this morning"

 

Barbara Craft, Tsarnas' ex girlfriend is bactracking on what she told law enforcement and what she is saying in court.

"You never said this to anyone before this morning, ' O God what if I had hit a person'," Deputy Conflict Counsel April Van Dyke asked Craft. The statement is what Craft claims Tsarnas allegedly told her.

"I thought I had but when he showed me the report," responded Craft.

Craft dated and lived with Tsarnas in a trailer on his property for three years. She broke up with Tsarnas in November 2018. "A few days after the incident," said Craft.

Craft went to CHP on November 28 to make a statement. Ms. Van Dyke asked Craft again, "You never said to CHP"  that Tsarnas "hit a person."

When asked by Ms. Van Dyke, Craft hemmed and hawed, then admitted Tsarnas did tell her he might have "hit a dog or firewood."

Craft cannot recall when, "maybe a year ago" that she told Deputy District Attorney Roger Rees and a DA Investigator that she lied. She may have told another investigator."

Craft is subject to recall. She doesn't know if the interview with "the other investigator" was recorded.

Craft didn't see the report is what Deputy District Attorney Roger Rees focused on his his brief redirect. 

CHP Officer Matthew Harvey is testifying after Craft. I would like to thank him for pointing out in response to a question by Ms. Van Dyke that the hit and run information was reported by various news media. 

Will Ms. Van Dyke's cross examination support the defense opening statement and create reasonable doubt? Humboldt juries are unpredictable;  add the challenges of jury service during COVID 19.  

Ms. Van Dyke has done a better job of representing Tsarnas than his previous attorney, Mr. Neal Sanders. Tsarnas could not afford to retain Mr. Sanders after the preliminary hearing.

Earlier post:

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2021/03/tsarnas-girlfriend-changes-her.html?m=1