the defendant. While she was not exactly a fan of Liz’s, she made a point to be professional in her interactions with her. Cheyann knew her boss did everything in his power to defend his clients, and as his assistant, she did what she could to help him.
She remembers that Liz had few people left who had faith in her. While the State had thirty-two witnesses, the defense had none. Liz’s new boyfriend, Joshua Stemmer, believed fervently in her innocence, and if it would have done her any good, he would have taken the stand to testify, but there was nothing he could say to help her. Back in 2012 when Cari vanished, Joshua had been just a teen and hadn’t even met Liz yet. Now, at 22, he was devoted to her. He’d dutifully shopped for her trial clothing and delivered outfits and shoes to JMD’s office. He visited her often in jail and accepted her collect calls. Inmates’ personal calls are recorded, and when investigators listened to the conversations between Liz and Joshua, they noted that she was definitely the boss in the relationship, often speaking harshly to the young man as she gave him orders.
Detectives Doty and Avis were familiar with the Stemmer family. As far as they knew, Josh had never been in trouble, but some of his relatives had a reputation for drinking too much, and it was not uncommon for neighbors to call police to complain about rowdy behavior. The family lived in a small Pott County town on the Nishnabotna River, about thirty miles from Council Bluffs, and both Doty and Avis had been dispatched to Stemmer’s home on more than one occasion. Joshua’s father, Henry, had a record for offenses that included assault and drunk driving and had spent time in jail, but he and his wife were nevertheless alarmed to discover their son was involved with an accused murderess nearly twice his age.
Liz had fooled Josh, just as she had fooled many of the State’s witnesses. Spectators noticed that some of the professionals Liz had duped seemed uncomfortable during their testimony. Tricked by a killer, they were embarrassed, and at least one of these men sweated profusely, face flushed as he answered questions that made it clear a deadly woman had pulled the wool over his eyes. More than one cop had ignored Nancy Raney’s concerns and now realized they’d made a mistake.
One by one, witnesses took the stand, and the shocking scenario took shape. Witnesses included firefighters, arson investigators, crime scene investigators, detectives, and Cari’s coworkers. Detectives Jim Doty, Ryan Avis, and Dave Schneider gave detailed testimony about the investigation, answering questions about everything from the shower curtain purchase to the download of Liz’s phone. As a professional and an integral part of the case, Avis was allowed to remain in the courtroom for the entire trial, despite the fact he was a witness.
Both Cari’s mother and son testified about their last days with her, their anguish when she vanished, and the years of torture they endured as the killer taunted them. Nearly everyone listening cried or wanted to cry. But Liz sat, quietly listening, without a flicker of emotion registering on her pale face.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
FOR EVERY BIT OF EVIDENCE the State presented, Shanna’s attorney had an argument. Cari Farver had not been seen since the November morning in 2012 when Dave left her in his apartment to go to work. No one had heard her voice in over four years. Multiple witnesses verified this, including Cari’s friends and family and her coworkers at West Corp. JMD had no witnesses to contradict them, so he focused on the fact no remains had been found and referred to it often. He dismissed the blood in the SUV, stressing that there wasn’t enough to indicate exsanguination—the immense bloodshed that results in death. He mentioned the lack of blood spatter evidence and the fact that only two things were known about the blood. “Number one, it was Cari Farver’s blood, and it was on the passenger side seat in her car. That’s all we know. We don’t know when it was shed, how it was shed, or if anybody else was involved in it being shed.”
While blood can be tested to determine whether or not it’s the result of menstruation, JMD knew that had not been done in this case, and he suggested the stain was a result of Cari’s monthly cycle. Beadle nipped that in the bud when Nancy took the stand,