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Murder Trial Begins for Ira Einhorn

Aired September 30, 2002 - 11:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: In Philadelphia, opening statements got under way today in the murder trial of former hippie guru Ira Einhorn. He was a longtime fugitive. He is accused of murdering his girlfriend about 25 years ago, and then jumping bail to start a new life on the run.
Our Jason Carroll is in Philadelphia this morning.

Jason, good morning. I hear there are some very strong words from the prosecution to start these proceedings.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Extremely strong words coming from assistant district attorney Joel Rosen. He addressed the jurors -- started out his opening statements by basically saying that what we are dealing with here, he said, is a classic case of domestic violence, a classic case of domestic abuse. He opened up saying, unfortunately, the truth about this case is that what happened here is all too common. It happens with the famous people and people who are not too famous as well.

He basically said that Holly Maddux was killed simply because she tried to break off her relationship with Ira Einhorn back in 1977. The prosecutor basically saying that Ira Einhorn became so enraged that he beat Holly Maddux and then stuffed her body no a trunk in his apartment.

Basically, what's going to happen is he told jurors what they are going to hear in this case that he is going to present during the trial; he said jurors can expect to hear from several witnesses, including witnesses who lived downstairs in the apartment beneath the apartment that Holly Maddux and Ira Einhorn shared. He's going to say that these witnesses will talk about the horrible and putrid smell that came from upstairs.

He also said that -- outlining some of the challenges that the prosecutors are going to have to deal with in this case -- and that's basically the age of the case. The case is more than 20 years old. But he said the reason why we are dealing with case that is 20 years old is because the defendant himself, Ira Einhorn, skipped the country right before he was due it stand trial, lived throughout Europe for a while and did everything he could to fight extradition.

In closing, and this is probably one of the most dramatic parts of the opening statements, he read a poem that was actually written by Ira Einhorn himself. The title of the poem is called "Act of Violence." Apparently, Ira Einhorn wrote this poem after he had physically abused one of his former girlfriends. In that poem, he described what it is like to physically abuse someone else and he said -- quote -- "It can be destructive, but freeing." That, again, according to Joel Rosen.

Right now, William Cannon, he is the defense attorney who is representing Ira Einhorn. He is in the process of presenting his opening argument, his opening statements. He is probably -- what he is going to tell the jurors is, look, this is a very, very old case. The reason why Ira Einhorn left the country is not because he was guilty, because he was afraid, because Ira Einhorn is claiming that he was framed for this murder by the U.S. government -- Daryn.

KAGAN: I think though, Jason, I think I heard a quote or a soundbite with Mr. Cannon, he himself admitting it'll be pretty difficult to defend somebody of a crime where they've been on a run the last 20 or so years.

CARROLL: He did say that. He admitted that. He said, look, this is going to be tough for me to prove. Not only do we have an overwhelming amount of physical evidence in this case, that being Holly Maddux's remains found in the apartment, but also the age of the case, the fact that Ira Einhorn, once he was accused of this crime, skipped the country. He skipped the country, but he moved throughout Europe.

He was in Ireland at one point, then went to England, then went to Sweden, and then finally ending up in France. But once again, he is going to tell the jurors, he is going to present his case, that the reason why Ira Einhorn left the country is not because he was guilty of this crime; it was because he was afraid.

KAGAN: Got it. Jason Carroll in Philadelphia, thanks so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired September 30, 2002 - 11:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: In Philadelphia, opening statements got under way today in the murder trial of former hippie guru Ira Einhorn. He was a longtime fugitive. He is accused of murdering his girlfriend about 25 years ago, and then jumping bail to start a new life on the run.
Our Jason Carroll is in Philadelphia this morning.

Jason, good morning. I hear there are some very strong words from the prosecution to start these proceedings.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Extremely strong words coming from assistant district attorney Joel Rosen. He addressed the jurors -- started out his opening statements by basically saying that what we are dealing with here, he said, is a classic case of domestic violence, a classic case of domestic abuse. He opened up saying, unfortunately, the truth about this case is that what happened here is all too common. It happens with the famous people and people who are not too famous as well.

He basically said that Holly Maddux was killed simply because she tried to break off her relationship with Ira Einhorn back in 1977. The prosecutor basically saying that Ira Einhorn became so enraged that he beat Holly Maddux and then stuffed her body no a trunk in his apartment.

Basically, what's going to happen is he told jurors what they are going to hear in this case that he is going to present during the trial; he said jurors can expect to hear from several witnesses, including witnesses who lived downstairs in the apartment beneath the apartment that Holly Maddux and Ira Einhorn shared. He's going to say that these witnesses will talk about the horrible and putrid smell that came from upstairs.

He also said that -- outlining some of the challenges that the prosecutors are going to have to deal with in this case -- and that's basically the age of the case. The case is more than 20 years old. But he said the reason why we are dealing with case that is 20 years old is because the defendant himself, Ira Einhorn, skipped the country right before he was due it stand trial, lived throughout Europe for a while and did everything he could to fight extradition.

In closing, and this is probably one of the most dramatic parts of the opening statements, he read a poem that was actually written by Ira Einhorn himself. The title of the poem is called "Act of Violence." Apparently, Ira Einhorn wrote this poem after he had physically abused one of his former girlfriends. In that poem, he described what it is like to physically abuse someone else and he said -- quote -- "It can be destructive, but freeing." That, again, according to Joel Rosen.

Right now, William Cannon, he is the defense attorney who is representing Ira Einhorn. He is in the process of presenting his opening argument, his opening statements. He is probably -- what he is going to tell the jurors is, look, this is a very, very old case. The reason why Ira Einhorn left the country is not because he was guilty, because he was afraid, because Ira Einhorn is claiming that he was framed for this murder by the U.S. government -- Daryn.

KAGAN: I think though, Jason, I think I heard a quote or a soundbite with Mr. Cannon, he himself admitting it'll be pretty difficult to defend somebody of a crime where they've been on a run the last 20 or so years.

CARROLL: He did say that. He admitted that. He said, look, this is going to be tough for me to prove. Not only do we have an overwhelming amount of physical evidence in this case, that being Holly Maddux's remains found in the apartment, but also the age of the case, the fact that Ira Einhorn, once he was accused of this crime, skipped the country. He skipped the country, but he moved throughout Europe.

He was in Ireland at one point, then went to England, then went to Sweden, and then finally ending up in France. But once again, he is going to tell the jurors, he is going to present his case, that the reason why Ira Einhorn left the country is not because he was guilty of this crime; it was because he was afraid.

KAGAN: Got it. Jason Carroll in Philadelphia, thanks so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com