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ST. LOUIS -- Both Kathy Mock and Kay Young have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder for hire and murder for hire. In order to be proven guilty of this crime, the government has to prove that Mock and Young entered into an agreement to murder Melvin Griesbauer, and that they used interstate commerce to get a hold of the compensation.

The federal government, led by US Attorney Thomas Dittmeier, urged the jurors in his rebuttal to the defense to quote use common sense. Dittmeier said Mock's DNA was on the gloves found at the murder scene that tested positive for gun residue and it was Kay Young's rifle. He reminded them that Kay had 1 million dollars to gain from the murder in life insurance money which would provide the motive for the murder. He told the jurors to remember that and one of the witnesses told them during that trial jurors that Young had been saying since the summer of 2005 that she wanted to kill Griesbauer. He said to the jurors, " they cold bloodily executed Melvin Griesbauer when he walked up to the barn that night, he was a dead man walking. "

During the defenses' argument, both sides said there was not a conspiracy and they accused each other of planning and committing the actual murder. 

Kathy Mock's lawyer, Chris McGraugh, made their case to the jurors that there is no evidence that Mock entered into an agreement with Young to kill Melvin Griesbauer, which would negate the conspiracy charge and in regards to the murder for hire charge,  he said there is no evidence that Mock was ever offered any money or given any money  or agreed upon to receive any money as a result of Griesbauer's murder.   Overall, McGraugh painted the picture that the murder was all of Kay Young's doing and that she manipulated Mock into getting involved.

Finally, Kay Young's lawyer, Jennifer Herndon, finished the arguments by stating that Kay Young is a victim in this case and the government has not shown evidence beyond reasonable doubt of anything otherwise.

Herndon said in every single test of evidence, including the mask and the gloves, Kay Young was excluded. She also said that there was no evidence that there was an agreement between Mock and Young to kill Griesbauer because the government did not  have any evidence that Young knew Mock was soliciting others to kill her husband. Also, Herndon says there was nothing unusual or improper about the life insurance policies because Griesbauer was in the military and being deployed to Iraq. 

In terms of witnesses, they reminded the jurors that the one of the key witnesses who testified that Young knew about Mock's attempts to solicit someone to kill her husband, has six felony convictions that involve fraud, insinuating that her testimony can not be trusted.

Overall, many of the witnesses in this case have prior felony convictions so it will be tough for the jurors to decide who is telling the truth. Also, the jurors will have to look beyond the actual murder and be convinced beyond reasonable doubt that Young and Mock were in agreement to kill Melvin Griesbauer and that they did it for monetary gain.

The jury began deliberating the case shortly after 1 Monday afternoon.



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