Friday, March 8, 2013
Hours after Nathaniel Fujita was convicted of murdering 18-year-old Lauren Astley, her friends, family and others were talking about her "sparkle."
Prosecutor Lisa McGovern turned to offer Mary Dunne and Malcolm Astley a look of success colored deeply with sadness as a jury declared Nathaniel Fujita guilty of murdering their 18-year-old daughter, Lauren Astley. Across the courtroom Fujita stood with his head bowed, but otherwise was silent. His mother behind him began to cry. As McGovern pulled Dunne and Malcolm Astley into a tight hug, the Fujita family let the tears flow freely and did their best to comfort one another knowing the crime Nathaniel Fujita had been found guilty of carries an automatic sentence of life without the possibility of parole. But then another person stepped up to Tomo and Beth Fujita, the defendant's parents, to offer some comfort. Malcolm Astley crossed the …
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Defense Attorney William Sullivan said he knew a mental illness defense for Nathaniel Fujita would be difficult for jurors to grasp.
Defense attorney William Sullivan said he is "disappointed with the verdict," announced Thursday morning. The jury decided his client, Nathaniel Fujita, is guilty of first-degree murder in the death of 18-year-old Lauren Astley of Wayland. "We knew that this was a possibility," Sullivan said, noting a defense built on mental illness is complex. "It was a difficult concept for jurors to understand, especially if you haven't dealt with mental illness in your family." Moments after Judge Peter Lauriat sentenced Fujita to life in prison without the possibility of parole, Sullivan talked with reporters downstairs at the Middlesex Superior Courthouse. "I know how badly he feels," Sullivan said, responding to whether Fujita will offer an apology …
Nathaniel Fujita has been convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Lauren Astley.
It was a tearful morning for the families of both Lauren Astley and Nathaniel Fujita, 20, as a Middlesex Superior Court judge read less than an hour ago that Fujita is guilty of first-degree murder in Astley's death. Comments have begun to appear on Wayland Patch as people react to the verdict. Michael Barrett writes: "The case was very clear the evidence was OVERWHELMING," and "Nate Fujita inflected an enormous amount of hurt on many people and the entire community. There will never be a full recovery but today is the start of rebuilding as best we can." User XYZ says he felt a second-degree murder verdict was more appropriate. "Sent to prison for the rest of your entire life for the murder of one person is still madness to me, Sweden …
A jury of 12 men and women deliberated for a little more than seven hours before reaching a guilty verdict.
Nathaniel Fujita stood stoically with his head hung down as the jury foreman read the verdict Thursday morning. "Guilty" of first-degree murder. Behind the defendant, his mother, Beth Fujita, began to weep. But tears flowed from the left side of the courtroom as well, as the parents of Lauren Astley, the 18-year-old woman Fujita murdered in July 2011, learned that he would be held accountable for taking their daughter's life. As the verdict was read, Prosecutor Lisa McGovern turned to Astley's parents and met their eyes. In the state of Massachusetts, Fujita now faces an automatic sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The foreman then read the verdicts for the other three charges Fujita faced: Judge Peter Lauriat …
Wayland man Nathaniel Fujita has been convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Lauren Astley, also of Wayland, in 2011.
Editor's Note: Wayland Patch will post regular updates from the courtroom at Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn. The most recent updates will be at the top of the story with a time stamp. For more about this case and trial, see "Wayland Murder: Nathaniel Fujita Trial." 12:29 p.m. -- Judge Peter Lauriat said he has received three victims' statements: Malcolm Astley, Mary Dunne and Roy Astley. Malcolm Astley is now speaking to the court. "I want to thank the court ... for diligence toward justice in this situation," Astley began. "We need to acknowledge the death, the absence and the taking of life of Lauren Astley," her father said. "We need to acknowledge all the pain, fear and distrust that resulted from the loss of her life ... it has to…
Jurors have spent about six hours so far deliberating a verdict iin the trial of a Wayland man accused of killing 18-year-old Lauren Astley.
Jurors this morning will return to the task of deliberating a verdict in the trial of Nathaniel Fujita, the now 20-year-old Wayland man accused of murdering 18-year-old Lauren Astley in July 2011. The jury has the option of finding Fujita guilty of first- or second-degree murder, not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility, or not guilty of the crimes at all, according to instructions issued by Judge Peter Lauriat. The decision was put in the hands of jurors at about 3:45 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. That day, the panel of eight men and four women elected a foreperson, but disbanded for the day just 15 minutes later. Wednesday, the jurors retired to deliberate at about 9:30 a.m. and informed Lauriat at 3:30 p.m. that they were ready…
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
The jury deliberated for about six hours today without reaching a verdict.
Jurors in the Nathaniel Fujita trial failed to reach a verdict during their first full day of deliberations. Fujita will wait another day to learn whether the jury believes him to be guilty of first- or second-degree murder or whether it believes, as the defense argued, that he experienced a brief psychotic episode at the time of the killing. The jury agreed to retire for the day at 3:30 p.m. after beginning deliberations at about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Judge Peter Lauriat told them he expects their deliberations to resume at 9 a.m. Thursday. If convicted of first-degree murder, Fujita faces an automatic sentence of life without the possibility of parole. A second-degree murder conviction carries an automatic sentence of life with the …
Today marks the 17th day in the trial of Nathaniel Fujita, the Wayland man accused of killing 18-year-old Lauren Astley in 2011.
Three weeks ago I listened and typed feverishly as Prosecutor Lisa McGovern and defense attorney William Sullivan laid out for jurors their unique perspectives on the murder of Lauren Astley. I watched as McGovern described a brutal, purposeful murder and Sullivan told of a tragic mental breakdown. I saw the defendant, Nathaniel Fujita, sit quietly on the right side of the courtroom as 18 months of hearings and motions and planning culminated in his first-degree murder trial. For three weeks, a string of 33 witnesses walked up the center aisle of Courtroom 530 at Middlesex Superior Court; through an opening in a short, mahogany paneled partition; past the eyes of 16 jurors; and took a seat in the witness stand. Constant motion; constantly …
A first-degree murder conviction could be handed down in the Wayland murder case, says Northeastern University criminologist.
Was Nathaniel Fujita experiencing a brief psychotic episode when he killed Lauren Astley? While that question and the case as a whole is now in the hands of jurors to decide, a local criminologist says no; Fujita is criminally responsible. The 20-year old Wayland man faces murder and assault charges in the July 3, 2011, death of his ex-girlfriend, Lauren Astley. While the defense does not dispute Fujita strangled and stabbed Astley to death in the garage of his West Plain Street home, Fujita's lawyers say he was having a brief psychotic episode during the killing. If successful, such an insanity defense could lead to a verdict of not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility. If he is deemed guilty, the jury will decide whether …
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Wayland man Nathaniel Fujita is facing first-degree murder charges arising from the death of Lauren Astley, also of Wayland, in 2011.
Editor's Note: Wayland Patch will post regular updates from the courtroom at Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn. The most recent updates will be at the top of the story with a time stamp. For more about this case and trial, see "Wayland Murder: Nathaniel Fujita Trial." 4:10 p.m. -- The alternate jurors include one woman and two men. That means that the 12 deliberating jurors include four women and eight men. We are recessing for the day. The jury will reconvene tomorrow at 8:45 a.m. to continue deliberations. Patch will be back when a verdict comes in to live blog the reading of that verdict. 3:55 p.m. -- The jury left the courtroom at 3:50 p.m. The judge asked them to select a foreperson today while the attorneys and court officers …
Alexis Avila
2:18 pm on Friday, March 8, 2013
"Malcolm Astley is a morally extraordinary and profoundly decent man," commented David Stallard on Wayland Patch. Poignant quote and couldn't agree more. more ›