Caryn Kelley : NOT GUILTY

Last night the three men and three women that made up the jury in the Caryn Kelley manslaughter trial found the 48 year old realtor not guilty in just over an hour and a half. Ms. Kelley has recently been compared to Jodi Arias. While its easy to see why....both beautiful women who killed their lovers, I struggle to see any other similarities in these women.  Let's take a look at the details of the night Phillip Peatross was killed.

Without going into details about Ms. Kelley's trial, lets just look at the differences between her behavior and Jodi's. Jodi shot Travis Alexander, stabbed him twenty seven times and slit his throat. Jodi wanted to make sure that Travis was never leaving that room again. Caryn shot Phillip, then she immediately called 911. She was clearly upset on the 911 recording.  While she did give multiple explanations, they were all part of the same story. Jodi Arias told police completely different accounts of the night Travis Alexander was stabbed, shot and nearly decapitated. She first claimed she had no idea what had happened because she hadn't seen Travis in over two months. Only when confronted with physical evidence of her being in Travis's home did she change her story. Seeing that she could no longer dispute that she was there, she then tells her 'ninja' story. We all heard her ever changing story during her trial.  

Caryn was distraught over Phillips death. You can hear her on the 911 call, see her on the police recording and even in court she was told repeatedly to keep her emotions under control or she would be removed. Jodi never shed a tear over Travis. Jodi is never less then fully composed. She shows absolutely no remorse or sadness. She also chose to put the victim on trial with her allegations of abuse and pedophelia. 

Jodi Arias is a soulless psychopath. Caryn Kelley was highly intoxicated when she and Phillip started struggling over the gun.  While its a very sad situation, continuing to compare these women is simply rediculous, in my opinion. While I in no way condone the behavior of Caryn Kelley, she was not breaking the law. It is completely legal in America to get wasted in your own home. It's also legal to own a gun and to use it for protection in your home. In this case there was far too much reasonable doubt. No expert could tell us who shot the gun.  Caryn had a bruise on her inner arm that is evidence of a struggle over the weapon. 

This also tells a story about gun safety. While it is illegal to drive under the influence, there is no law that prohibits people from wielding a weapon while under the influence.  If Caryn Kelley had been charged with criminal negligence, there would have been a far greater chance of her being charged with something. To charge her with murder was completely over charging her.  Prosecutors agreed, as they lowered the charge to manslaughter.  While I completely understand that some are outraged that she just 'got away with it', I beg to differ. Caryn has spent the last two years in a hell of her own making. I can only hope that she took that time to get help for her problems with drugs and alcohol. This woman was facing thirty years, the rest of her life, behind bars. This has no doubt been a nightmare to her and her family. It was proven that she didn't intend to shoot Phillip. Maybe if we had a law against handling a weapon while under the influence, there would be grounds to put her in jail any longer. The only thing deadlier then a loaded gun is a loaded gun and alcohol.  Jodi Arias planned to kill Travis and she did. Coldhearted and evil, she belongs in prison. There's no doubt about that. However, placing Caryn Kelley in a jail cell beside Jodi Arias seems completely illogical.....