But Aside From All That I'm Sure She's A Peach

Los Angeles, CA

To hear her attorney tell it Nanette Packard-McNeal is not a nice woman. Deceitful, he calls her. Dishonest. Unfaithful.

But, he says, and this is important, she's not a killer.

Packard-McNeal, 46, is in court for the murder of her ex-boyfriend, Bill McLaughlin in 1994. She's accused of plotting with her other boyfriend at the time, ex-NFL linebacker Eric Naposki, in the almost 20-year-old crime.

Seems she was dating both of them and, according to Packard-McNeal's attorney, when Naposki found out he got upset and topped Mclaughlin all on his lonesome. I'm thinking the phrase, "riddled with bullets" was probably used.

The defense's argument here is that Naposki was broke and Packard-McNeal wasn't going to get McLaughlin's cash, so what the hell would be the point of taking him out?

Prosecutors, of course, see things a little differently. They're going with the "Look how horrible she is!" argument.  McLaughlin was loaded after inventing a device that filters plasma from blood.  Before his death they say that she was taking credit for the invention and telling people that she was going to be coming into some money soon.

If the defense can get past the whole "She's a hussy!  She's a bad person!" implication the prosecution is tossing around it sounds like she's got a fair chance of walking. From the thin slice the story gives us it sounds more like a cheap prosecutorial trick than a solid case.

Naposki was convicted back in July for first degree murder with a January 20th sentencing date. So unless he comes in with a "I'll hang her out to dry for a reduced sentence" thing the defense should just need to raise enough doubt about her potential involvement.

Man, this is like a Cain novel. The Femme Fatale, the jilted lover, the rich victim. I think I'm gonna have to watch this one.

I wonder if she looks like Barbara Stanwyck.