Day 2: Reporter’s updates from Wayne Bent trial

NM vs. Wayne Bent / December 9, 2008

KOB-TV Investigative Reporter Jeremy Jojola is providing Beyond90Seconds.com with updates from Taos where the Wayne Bent trial is now entering its second say. Jojola’s e-mails to me will be copied and pasted below.  I’ll also include the time (MST) the e-mails were sent.

8:19am MST
Mark:

Just got word that the Bent trial will be delayed by two hours today because of snow fall here in Taos.  Attached is a picture I took right outside my hotel door.
Court is now expected to resume at 11 am.

Jeremy

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(*Note: Much coming down right now…stay tuned for pictures and interview)

11:23am MST
Interview conducted by Beyond90Seconds.com with Jeremy Jojola shortly after 10am (MST). Jojola is speaking on his cell phone from inside the Taos courthouse.
Jeremy Jojola interview (1)

12:47pm (MST)
Mark:

Trial is in recess for lunch. As you may have caught on my twitter account, the mother of the two alleged victims (Elsa S.) took the stand today. It got a little emotional, with her crying on the stand. She described Wayne Bent’s hold on her family when they lived within the cult. She says Bent violated her daughters and violated her trust. She described to the court how she feels “she lost” her youngest daughter and that her oldest daughter “wanted to commit suicide” after lying naked with Bent. She also believes her youngest daughter is “still in love” with Bent.

The mother also described how she was once one of Bent’s seven virgins, and that she once believed that Bent was God. She described how Bent would post messages around the compound that said one “must be naked with God” and that because he was God, members of the church took that message literally and as law.

She also described it was difficult to raise her children, because her children would often avoid chores like dish washing by claiming the voice of God told them to go take a walk.

The girls’ father also took the stand today. I was not in the court and haven’t looked at the tape yet. I’ll try to get to that later. Court resumes at 1:30 pm.

More updates soon!

JJ

12:57pm (MST)
(Read a report, “Mother testifies in trial of court leader”, filed by Jeremy Jojola and KOB.com Webmaster Reed Upton.)

2:57pm (MST)
(I have an unconfirmed report that court has already ended for today.  Trying to reach Jeremy Jojola to confirm at this moment.  Also, Jojola has provided a pic of John S. on the stand this afternoon.  John S. is the father of the alleged victims.  I will post that picture in a few minutes…)

2:28 (MST)
(time listed is the time that Beyond90Seconds.com received the photograph below)

John S. on witness stand (father of alleged victims).  John says he doesn’t trust Bent.

3:22pm (MST)
(Haven’t reached Jojola, but I believe that unconfirmed information I had received a few minutes ago about the court day already ending was bad info.  It seems more likely the jury was briefly excused, as it appears court is still very much in session at this minute.)

4:19pm (MST)
(Please stand-by for new audio interview with Jeremy Jojola. Court has concluded for today.)

5:05pm (MST)
(Audio interview with Jeremy Jojola conducted shortly after day two of Wayne Bent trial concluded.  Jojola describes an unexpected development at the conclusion of court that sounds like concerns were addressed about possible witness tampering.  Jojola addresses other aspects of today’s developments, too, including the appearances on the witness stand by both parents of the alleged victims.)

Jeremy Jojola interview (2)

7:20pm (MST)
(Jeremy Jojola’s 5pm live report from Taos, New Mexico for KOB-TV appears below.)

[wpvideo f1Z1uk9w w=420]

UPDATE:
(Jeremy Jojola’s 12/9/08 6pm live report for KOB-TV now appears below.  The story features interviews with two former members of Bent’s church; Johnny Miller and Allen Armstrong.  Earlier this year, Beyond90Seconds.com traveled to SW Arizona to interview both Miller and Armstrong.  The result was a two-part VIDEO documentary titled, Return to Castle Dome.

[wpvideo nxwPdCAF w=420]

Day 1: Updates on Wayne Bent case from Taos courthouse
Day 2: Reporter’s updates from Wayne Bent trial
Day 3: Reporter’s updates from Wayne Bent trial
Day 4: Reporter’s updates from Wayne Bent trial
Day 5: Reporter’s updates from Wayne Bent trial