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Mrs. mossier, rowersMIAMI. Fla (AP)-The slate rested its first-degree murder case today against blonde Candace Mossier and her strapping nephew. Melvin Lane Powers, in the 1%4 slaying of her aging multimillionaire h u s b a n d, I Jacques Mossier.The defense was ready with the presentation that is hand-, tailored to fit the courtroom talents of Powers’ chief attorney. Percy Foreman, a colorful Texas lawyer. His will be the final plea in the case.With direct prosecution testimony at an end, Dade County Circuit Jucge (ieorge Schulz confronted routine midtrial defense motions — for a directed verdict of acquittal, or dismissal of charges for lack of evidenceHowever, he is expected to continue the trial, now in its sixth week, with the all-male jury rendering the final judg-facing Mrs. Mossier and Powers, if convicted as charged, is death in the electric chair. The state has described them as illicit lovers, driven by lust and greed into a premeditated design to kill Mossier, 69 Mrs. Mossier entered a local hospital during the weekend for treatment of an old neck injury, aggravated since the trial began Jan 18 by a fall. She also is subject to migraine headaches, which have interrupted the hearing on occasions.Neither the tiny, attractive Mrs. Mossier, who lists her age as 40, nor the 6-foot-3 Powers, 29. is expected to take the witness stand. The defense estimates it will call about 25 witnesses and take a week or more to put in its case.*To take advantage of Florida law. Powers' defense team does not plan to introduce any witnesses or submit any evidencein his behalf. Actually, some o Mrs. Mossler's witnesses will bi testifying for both defendants.This legal maneuver will giv« Powers’ lawyers the right tlt; open and close the final argu ments in the case. Thus the jur) members will enter their delib erations with Foreman’s reso nant words still ringing in theii ears.In three weeks of testimony, with nearly 70 witnesses, the state attempted to build up a circumstantial case against Mrs. Mossier and Powers. It ascribed the June 30, 1964, slaying of Mossier to a blazing love affair between his wife and her nephew and to their desire to get their hands on his money.Mossier, head of a $33-million banking and loan complex, was bludgeoned and stabbed with a knife 39 times in his Key Bis-cayne apartment while Mrs. Mossier was absent.
Newspaper Details
Mattoon Journal Gazette
Mattoon, Illinois, US
Mon, Feb 21, 1966
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Ronald S.
USA 11 Apr 2017
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